Space Food: Changing Food Systems

Food prepared for the first modules of the international space station had to stay stable at room temperature for nine to twelve months, because there was no refrigerator or freezer on the station. When a habitation module is added to the space station, the food system will be considerably different from those of the space shuttle and early international space stations. Crew members will have frozen and refrigerated foods and be able to eat a menu much like those on earth. The station will have a Safe Haven food system, which can be used to sustain crew members for twenty-two days under emergency operating conditions resulting from onboard failure. A goal of the system is to utilize minimal volume and weight. The Safe Haven food system is independent of the daily menu food and provides each crew member at least two thousand calories per day. The shelf life of each food item is a minimum of two years.