What Foods do Astronauts Eat in Space?
When astronauts leave for a mission, they will not be able to refrigerate their food, so anything they take along must be nonperishable. The space food that they bring must also be easy to eat without making a mess, since the astronauts will be outside the gravitational field, and any crumbs could float around and get stuck in equipment or in the astronauts' eyes. Because astronauts will often be in space for weeks or months at a time, they are usually unable to bring fresh food, such as fruit and vegetables, on board the craft.
Many types of space food are dehydrated, or freeze-dried, and sealed. When an astronaut is ready to eat, he or she can add water to rehydrate the meal so that it will be edible. Though there is no refrigerator on board a spacecraft, there is an oven, so astronauts are able to heat up or bake their meals as necessary.
While in space, astronauts generally use flour tortillas for sandwiches, rather than bread. This is because bread can have a lot of crumbs, which will float around in the vehicle. For condiments, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise are provided in their standard forms, but salt and pepper are provided only as liquids, because the powdered version would be likely to float away.
Today, a wide variety of menu items are available for astronauts as space food. They can choose from meals including beef stroganoff, chicken teriyaki, and turkey tetrazzini. Typically, an astronaut will have the chance to decide his own meals from a menu list well in advance of launch.
Food is provided in disposable containers that can be attached to the astronaut's meal tray, which is strapped to his lap, so that the containers do not float freely in space. The astronaut must consume each part of the meal separately, not starting on another course until the previous one is finished. Once the meal has been eaten, the packaging must be disposed of and is put into a trash compactor to eliminate waste.
In recent years, some chefs have begun to experiment with creating meals for astronauts. Celebrity chefs, including Emeril Legasse and Rachael Ray, have designed meals that have been offered on space flights.
AS FEATURED ON:
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![Astronauts typically rely on freeze-dried foods that are rehydrated in space.]()
By: Leslie SeatonAstronauts typically rely on freeze-dried foods that are rehydrated in space. -
![Flour torillas are preferred over bread, which tends to crumble.]()
By: Jiri HeraFlour torillas are preferred over bread, which tends to crumble. -
![US astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the Moon.]()
By: Yuri ArcursUS astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the Moon. -
![Astronauts will often be in space for weeks or even months.]()
By: NajAstronauts will often be in space for weeks or even months. -
![Astronauts cannot bring fresh food to space.]()
By: KadmyAstronauts cannot bring fresh food to space.
Discussion Comments
What do you think would happen if they vomited in space? I think some of their stomach lining would come out with the vomit.
What types of food do they bring and explain better please.
I'm in sixth grade wondering what do astronauts eat instead of bread and why?
Why do astronauts need to exercise!
Those astronauts must have been so happy when they got it. I think the freeze dried ice cream is going to be history soon. It's not good anyway.
It's also not required that everyone eat the same foods. So an Asian astronaut can have his rice and the American astronaut can have his hamburger in the same shuttle.
They are also allowed some fresh fruit, as long as it's not messy. So things like apples, tomatoes and oranges are fine.
Doesn't liquid float up too though?
How many days can they stay in space?
@anon2303: There are not a lot of options for them to eat so I'm guessing they have to shut up and deal with it.
What do they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
Can you please answer this as fast as you can? It is for a project.
That's cool. I would hate to get food in my eye.
They ensure proper diet, and plus, being out there is like a sauna.
Because their bones will disintegrate unless they workout and go see a doctor constantly.
How do they keep their living quarters clean?
They all have to be fit because being in space makes you lose muscle and calcium. It also makes you two inches taller, but the other affects could be fatal without physical training.
You guys are getting it confused. yes, they do eat sandwiches but that is not the only food that they eat. they actually have a wide variety of foods to choose from, relax being an astronaut, you have to get good food, or else it's not worth the trip, getting sick and all.
how could they stand and eat because they will be floating around with their food.
what do they eat?
Do they have any other foods they eat or do the just eat sandwiches?
they have to be fit, otherwise if they get sick at all from a preexisting condition, it's bad for the mission.
even if they had surgery once, you wouldn't be able to be an astronaut.
how could they stand eating the same thing?
I think they have to be fit in order to endure the conditions, things like EVAs, and for health experiments.
Why do astronauts have to be physically fit in space?
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