In the vast and inhospitable environment of space, Food is a crucial challenge for astronauts. Space travel requires more than simply providing food: it is necessary that these keep astronauts healthy, well fed and able to perform at their best level.
Find the balance between rich, nutritious and necessary in terms of contribution of nutrients and calories is essential, when there is no kitchen to prepare food, a fire to cook it and space to store the ingredients to make a dish.
This successful combination has clearly been achieved by space engineering Sara Rocci DenisFounder and CEO of Eat freedom, which together with the Italian space chef Stefano Polato They make food for the astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS).
Infobae had the pleasure of participating in a cooking masterclass called “Space Food Experience”promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the company Telespazio Argentina, reference of the European Space Agency (ESA) in Argentina, all within the framework of the Italian National Space Day.
“Over space missions and time, improvements in Food sent to space has been increasing. In the first missions, the menu options themselves and the ways to consume the food were scarce. It was about crushed foods that entered the body through tubes and buckets of dehydrated food. Over time, the techniques for preparing and preserving food in space evolved, leading to a wide variety of foods today, with better texture and flavor,” he explained to Infobae space engineer Rocci Denis.
And he added that today there are various preparations and types of foods and drinks treated with different processes to guarantee their good condition, on the one hand, and that they do not add too much weight when taking off, or staying in orbit. These types include: rehydratable, thermostabilized, irradiated and natural food.
“We look for dishes inspired by our gastronomic and wine culture, consumed in orbit by ESA astronauts. In addition, we apply a rigorous scientific approach to find the best solutions to the problem of feeding 400 kilometers away and sending meals to the orbital station,” said the expert.
“With Stefano we redefine the preservation of healthy foodstaking advantage the scientific principles of solid nutrition for like this eliminate harmful processing, additives or preservatives of outdoor meals, reduce he energy consumption of freeze-drying and working towards a more ecological packaging,” he said. Denis Rocks.
The problems that space engineering mentions and that basically cover the microgravity, cosmic radiation and other extreme conditions that affect the organism of astronauts in space, are considered when eating food, digesting it and incorporating the nutrients necessary to live and carry out the complex tasks in the orbital laboratory.
For years, NASA has invested significant resources in developing technologies to ensure astronauts receive the necessary nutrients while in space. The lack of gravity and the extreme conditions of space seriously affect the way the human body processes food.
That is why there is an important team of doctors and nutritionists behind the food and diets of those who travel to space, which must be carefully designed and crafted to address these challenges.
Everything starts from complex selection of foods to the methods of preparation and consumption, where every aspect of nutrition is carefully studied to ensure that astronauts receive the adequate nutrients.
In addition, ongoing research in space nutrition seeks not only to improve the health and well-being of astronauts during low-orbit missions, such as those to the ISS, but also to prepare the ground for future space explorations of long duration, such as trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
“50% of the food consumed on the International Space Station is produced in the US and the rest is produced by other space agencies around the world such as ESA. In the composition of the foods that are chosen when making a menu, 80% are designed and prepared by specialized personnel, made up of expert nutritionists and doctors.. The remaining 20% is made up of 10% of products that are purchased directly in supermarkets and the other 10% is at the request of the astronauts”, explained Rocci Denis.
And he added: “That 10% chosen by the astronauts who are going to participate in a space mission is like a bonus food. A pampering that is done to the human being who is going to live for months in space. It can be a gourmet dish, a homemade preparation, and even a family recipe.”
From NASA explain What meals can include macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, cereals, fish, meat with mushroomsand more options to suit astronauts. They can be heated in ovens that are in the ships, if necessary.
The packaging of these foods appears tagged so that astronauts can identify the content, and are organized according to the days of consumption to order the appropriate amount of food in relation to the time the trip will last. In addition, it is identified who owns the food with colored dots stuck on each package.
The different types of food and drinks available are treated with different processes to ensure that they remain in good condition and that they do not add too much weight when taking off. These types include: rehydratable foodeither freeze-drying or oxidation)thermostabilized (hot treatment of the product so that the bacterial load is reduced)irradiated and in natural form.
While showing off some ingredients including the space food packs on display in this space cooking masterclass, the Italian chef Stefano Polato specified to Infobae: “In the kingdom of space food, gourmet and delicious can also be safe, healthy and balanced for the body. Most of the food we prepare is based on Mediterranean food, which has proven to be one of the most complete and healthy today.”
“Foods are made from rice and We look for options that are not so refined but comprehensive, which have several benefits when it comes to preventing diseases.. And of course, options for dehydrated fruits and vegetables, which preserve vitamins and nutrients,” Polato added.
The challenge of the Italian chef not only results in the nutritional contribution for counteract the loss of bone density and muscle tone, for example, which decrease significantly, and for which astronauts perform more than 2 hours of exercise daily in space. It also represents a significant consumption of calories and nutrients.
Among the most common problems of living off Earth is when astronauts report a decreased sense of taste and smell due to microgravity, which makes the food less tasty.
The Microgravity alters the distribution of fluids in the body, causing facial swelling and nasal congestion, directly affecting the sense of taste and smell. Because of this, astronauts often prefer foods with intense flavors, particularly sweet, salty, bitter, and particularly spicy.”
Although these symptoms tend to disappear after a few weeks, many astronauts continue to report a lack of appetite This phenomenon poses a critical problem for long-duration space missions, such as those to Mars, where astronauts would spend years away from Earth.
One of the challenges that chef Polato faced occurred in 2012 when he was cooking at the “Campiello” restaurant in Monselice, in the province of Padua, and aspiring astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti contacted him for some ideas on possible new recipes to take with him into space. The proposals, sent overnight, are popular.
“In my life I understood that manipulating food does not only mean feeding people, but also communicating concepts of healthy and correct nutrition through food. Samantha Cristoforetti He asked me for my number because he knew that as a chef I was also training in nutraceuticals, nutrigenomics and ethical nutrition, and I was excited. From there, a world opened up to me, the spatial world,” he said. Polato.
From there, Polato was inserted by the European Space Agency as chef in the Future missionwhich two years later would take the first Italian woman into space.
Among the dishes prepared by Polato, the quinoa, mackerel, tomato and zucchini salad, a legume soup, brown rice with chicken and turmeric vegetables, crispy dehydrated asparagus, shaken with pear, apple and strawberry flavor, organic bars with goji berries, chocolate and spirulina.
But Polato has his own anecdote with astronaut Cristoforetti, who is a little lactose intolerant. “Samantha told me to look for an alternative to consuming dairy products so that the incorporation of calcium into her body is not affected by not consuming these milk derivatives. So, I studied that crickets have a high proportion of calcium, especially in his head. So I started making foods that contain these insects. The result was a complete success. “He loved it!” emphasized the space chef.
