Ah, space: the final frontier. While the furthest reaches of the universe are still are huge mystery, we're discovering more and more about it every day, bit by tiny bit. It really wasn't that long ago that we put a man on the moon in 1969, and we recently saw the surface of Pluto. We've even discovered water on Mars. It's only a matter of time before more and more of us humans make the journey past Earth's atmosphere.
Adjusting to zero gravity definitely takes a little time, though. There are so many mundane tasks that suddenly become problems that need solving, like brushing your teeth, for instance. Where do you spit? There are no sinks in space! The water just floats off in every direction.
One thing the scientists at NASA have done is to equip all the small things that astronauts use, like food packages, with little velcro patches. That way, when they're eating, their food doesn't float away down the corridor.
But how do you eat in space? Soup is out of the question, and constructing a complicated meal would be impossible. There are no refrigerators on space shuttles, so everything must be stored at room temperature. A complicated meal like pizza is a big no-go due to the variety of components that would need different processing and storage methods. However, the food science department at NASA has over 200 available options for astronauts to choose from, and they make a personalized meal plan before making the big launch.
So, making the food has come down to a science, but what about eating it?
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield really wanted some desert after his balanced meal… But it's up to him to figure out exactly how to eat it!
Please SHARE this video if you're thankful you don't have to eat dessert in outer space!
