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This article was originally published in English
As missions become longer, it is important to develop meals that can be easily grown in space and meet the nutritional needs of astronauts. Experts deliver the results of their research.
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According to experts, an astronaut’s ideal meal is surprisingly similar to what you’d find on a trendy culinary influencer’s Instagram account.
After extensive comparative research, a team of Australian researchers estimated that the “optimal” fresh meal for space travelers is a vegetarian salad.
Given the long-distance missions planned for the future, the question of crew nutrition is becoming more and more urgent. It is no longer a question of building up sufficient reserves from the start, but rather focusing on food that can be grown in space.
But the “Space Farms”as the University of Adelaide research team calls them, have several limitations.
In a document published in DecemberThe US Space Agency (NASA) stated that the space food system should be organized to minimize resources.
“All inputs and outputs – mass, volume, occupation time, water, energy and waste – must be minimized in relation to the food produced.”the document says.
Soy, kale and sunflower seeds
The Australian team examined a variety of crops and animal products, although the authors acknowledge this “For long-term travel, there is little research on how to incorporate animal foods into astronauts’ diets.”.
The scientists evaluated different combinations of fresh ingredients using a mathematical modeling technique known as linear programming.
They valued the sustainability of space food, choosing foods that require little fertilizer, time and space to grow, and considering the potential for recycling waste.
The result is a vegetarian meal consisting of soy, poppy seeds, barley, kale, peanuts, sweet potatoes and/or sunflower seeds.
But is it appetizing? To assess whether it met the taste criteria, the research team prepared this optimal space meal, presented the ingredients in salad form and conducted a taste test with four people on Earth.
One of them was very enthusiastic and explained that they “I wouldn’t hesitate to eat this all week as an astronaut.”.
A male astronaut needs 2,800 calories
The parameters to be taken into account concern not only the crops grown, but also the specific needs of the crew members.
Researchers calculated that a 40-year-old male astronaut needed about 2,800 calories per day, which is equivalent to about 1.2 kg of food per day, compared to 2,000 calories on Earth.
According to the authors of the study, the results of which were published in ACS Food Science and TechnologyHowever, life in space brings with it additional challenges: For example, extra energy is required for spacewalks that typically last more than five hours.
Additionally, because the human body faces special conditions in space, the diet must contain nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D to maintain bone health, which is severely compromised during missions.
Astronauts’ need for the nine essential amino acids is also higher. These organic compounds play a crucial role as they are necessary for protein synthesis in the body.
Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the human body itself and must be obtained through food.
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However, from this perspective, the meal did not receive an optimal rating and the researchers noted that supplements were needed to provide the missing micronutrients.
What are the astronauts’ current meals?
Space food must take into account environmental conditions, astronauts’ biological needs and palatability.
During early space missions, when the focus was on resources and safety rather than nutrition and acceptance, NASA found that astronauts did not eat enough and therefore lost weight.
At the moment, over 200 standard foods and drinks are available on board the International Space Station (ISS).
The list includes pizza, Kung Pao Chicken, burritos – made from tortillas that leave no crumbs – and sometimes even ice cream on resupply missions.
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However, alcohol is prohibited on board the ISS for safety reasons.
“Astronauts can share food with crew members at their own discretion”finally specifies NASA.
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