By Krati Purwar
August 10, 2024
When an astronaut gears up to leave this Earth and its gravity to stay in space, one of the biggest questions is what they will eat and how they will store the food. Here is a short guide on how rockets are loaded with perishable goods for astronauts.
Space food is stored in vacuum-sealed pouches to minimise the interaction with air and spoilage. It also helps to reduce weight and size.
Freeze-drying is a process in which food items are made lightweight by removing moisture. Later, astronauts can rehydrate with water and eat it.
In the spacecraft, humidity is controlled to ensure the food remains safe and does not soil before the expiry date.
Each meal has a definite amount of portion to reduce waste as it can be quite difficult to dispose of what astronauts can’t or won’t eat.
In space, if certain foods need to be heated before consumption, they are stored in ovens and warmers specifically designed for the purpose.
If you think that astronauts do not carry stews and soups, you are mistaken. They are sealed in pouches to prevent them from floating around.
To increase the shelf life of food, advanced technologies are used. In most cases, the perishable goods should remain safe for at least 5 years.