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Special Recipes Give Space Station Crew A Tast of Home



 
 
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Old November 25th 03, 02:02 AM
Ron Baalke
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Default Special Recipes Give Space Station Crew A Tast of Home


Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington November 24, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

RELEASE: 03-381

SPECIAL RECIPES GIVE SPACE STATION CREW A TASTE OF HOME

There is a place where, no matter what you eat during
the holidays, you'll never gain any weight.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are
preparing for the fourth holiday season on the zero gravity
research laboratory. Although the food is not mom's home
cooking, today's selections are a huge advance over the
"tubes and cubes" of the first meals in orbit more than 40
years ago.

On the Station, the holiday table is set with bungee cords
and Velcro. There's no heirloom china or tablecloth.
Astronauts eat from disposable plastic containers and
aluminum pouches. Instead of a carving knife, scissors are
more important for meal preparation.

But the dining room view is unmatched, more than 200 miles
above the Earth, and the spirit of peace and good will is as
warm as at any gravity-bound table. The diners on the Station
hold a record among holiday travelers, during the course of a
meal, they circle the Earth.

Space and zero gravity offer challenges for food preparation.
There is no refrigerator or freezer aboard the Station, so
food must remain good for long periods at room temperature.
Many offerings are freeze-dried. Others are thermostabilized,
just like some foods found in grocery stores that do not
require refrigeration. Some items are canned, others, like
candy, nuts and cookies, are fine just the way they are on
Earth.

The top Station chef is Food Scientist Vickie Kloeris. She
has worked in space food systems at NASA's Johnson Space
Center in Houston for 18 years. Kloeris oversees the area
that manages the production and supply of Space Station and
Space Shuttle food.

"Station crews have more than 250 food and beverage items
they can select from the U.S. and Russian food systems, but
they have to make their selections as early as a year before
their flight," Kloeris said. "The choices range from
barbecued beef to baked tofu, with probably the most popular
item being shrimp cocktail," she said.

Do tastes change in space? Kloeris said although there is no
scientific data to verify changes, many astronauts report a
preference for spicy and tart foods and drinks.

Weightlessness also affects the food choices aboard the
orbiting laboratory. Crumbly or loose foods can float out and
contaminate the Station atmosphere, becoming an annoyance or
even a hazard to crews and equipment. Many entrees and
vegetables are packaged in a thick sauce that helps hold them
in a bowl while they are eaten. Tortillas are favored over
sandwich bread, because they create fewer crumbs and are
easier to handle in microgravity. They also stay fresh longer
than sliced bread.

Stocking the Station cupboard is an international effort;
half the food is from Russia and half from the United States.
The U.S. food comes from a variety of sources. Some comes
straight off the shelves with only repackaging needed. Other
items are custom-manufactured for space. The combination of
the two food systems increases the variety of foods available
to Station crews.

Before the launch of the Space Station, when Space Shuttle
flights stayed in orbit only about 18 days, the variety of
food available was not as extensive. Variety has become much
more important, since crews stay in space for up to six
months. One of the more popular items eaten by Station crews
is a variation on a children's favorite that can easily be
tried at home:

SPACE PB&J WRAP

Ingredients: 1 Flour Tortilla
Favorite Peanut Butter
Favorite Jelly

Directions: Spread thin layer of peanut butter on
tortilla. Add a thin layer of jelly.
Fold and enjoy.

Information about space foods and additional recipes are on
the Internet at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/spacefood/index.html

Information about the Space Station, including dates and
times to see it above many U.S. cities during the holidays is
on the Internet at:

http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov

-end-

 




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