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Field Journal
Space Food Systems -- What the astronauts eat in space
by Vickie Kloeris
Interviewed by: Lori Keith
April 29, 2001
Hi! I am new to Quest - Space Team Online, and this
is my first field journal. I did a webcast in February with NASA Quest
and the Distance Learning Education Project, out of Johnson Space Center.
A webcast is a live event broadcast over the Internet. During the webcast,
I was able to answer questions from students while they were watching
the event. It was really neat! This event was to celebrate National Engineers
Week.
For my first journal, I will tell you a little about
the different types of food the astronauts eat in space. I will also tell
you a few facts you may not have known.
To begin with, NASA has seven types of food that fly
on the shuttle and the International Space Station:
- Rehydratable food -- requires astronaut
to add water prior to consumption. NASA uses a lot of foods packaged
this way because the shuttles produce their own water, as a waste product
of the electricity generated from the shuttle fuel cells. Also, since
most food items are 90% water, taking the water out reduces the weight
of the food items. Weight reduction is always an important goal for
spaceflight. Food is packaged in clear plastic pouches with a white
plastic piece located at the top of the pouch where water is injected
from the galley.
- Thermostabilized food -- like the canned
food we eat, only it's packaged in a flexible metal/foil pouch. "Thermostabilized"
means the food has been made shelf stable using heat, and has a very
long shelf life. Astronauts heat the pouch and then open it, eating
the contents with a fork or spoon.
- Intermediate Moisture food -- packaged in
clear plastic pouch called a snack pack. This includes food like dried
fruits and meat, trail mix.
- Natural Form food -- better known as junk
foods like M&M candies, cookies, crackers, etc. These foods are repackaged
in single serving snack packs, like the Intermediate Moisture food.
- Irradiated food -- similar to canned food
and packaged in foil pouches. These foods are treated with a dose of
radiation to make them shelf stable. Currently two meat products, sliced
turkey and beef steak, are flown in space using this method of preservation.
Additional irradiated meat products will be added for the International
Space Station menu.
- Drink products -- packaged in foil packages,
like Capri Sun® drinks we buy at the grocery store. All are in powder
form and must have water added. NASA's drink foil pouches are a different
size then the ones used commercially.
- Fresh food -- a small quantity of fresh
fruits, vegetables and bread products are packed, but must be consumed
within the first few days of the flight before they spoil. These items
include bananas, carrot and celery sticks, breakfast rolls, flour tortillas,
etc.
 All
the food pouches have several little blue Velcro dots, called velcoins,
attached that hold the food pouches to the meal trays and to the front
of the mid-deck lockers on the shuttle. Also, each crewmember chooses
their own menus and is assigned a certain color. Along with the blue velcoins,
each food package is labeled with a colored dot to remind the astronauts
which foods they chose. The commander always uses a red dot for his/her
food items. Meals are stored in mid-deck locker trays and are labeled
by day and meal-- Day 1 Meal A is breakfast, Day 1 Meal B is lunch and
Day 1 Meal C is dinner.
 Each
crewmember has their own set of silverware, which includes a knife, two
spoons, a fork, and a pair of scissors (for opening pouches). Clean up
is done using alcohol wipes.
For more info see NASA Fact Sheet
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All
the food pouches have several little blue Velcro dots, called velcoins,
attached that hold the food pouches to the meal trays and to the front
of the mid-deck lockers on the shuttle. Also, each crewmember chooses
their own menus and is assigned a certain color. Along with the blue velcoins,
each food package is labeled with a colored dot to remind the astronauts
which foods they chose. The commander always uses a red dot for his/her
food items. Meals are stored in mid-deck locker trays and are labeled
by day and meal-- Day 1 Meal A is breakfast, Day 1 Meal B is lunch and
Day 1 Meal C is dinner.
Each
crewmember has their own set of silverware, which includes a knife, two
spoons, a fork, and a pair of scissors (for opening pouches). Clean up
is done using alcohol wipes.
