Space, Food in

Space travel has a severe impact on the human body: astronauts suffer from decreases in bone, red blood cell, and lean body mass; weight loss, shifts of fluid towards the head; a propensity to develop renal stones; and increased cataract and cancer risk due to radiation exposure. This means that good nutrition is essential to ensure both peak performance by astronauts whilst in space, as well as their health when back on earth. Developing appetizing meals for astronauts to eat, therefore, is an important focus for nutritionists. As space programmes attempt to extend their reach, the role of food in enabling missions to survive and thrive for longer durations becomes an even greater priority. It is therefore all the more surprising that the image of the food eaten during space travel is of bland pastes and powders, taken directly from tubes or sachets, and concocted with little thought for the unfortunate consumer. In fact, since German Titov became the first man to eat in space in 1961, developing the meals to be eaten during each trip has been an important and detailed part of the pre-flight planning, and there are as many types of canned and thermostabilized space food as there are countries with a space programme.