Astronaut Food NASA vs Russian Space Agency
As the push for commercial travels to space is getting more serious, space agencies need to ensure that their astronauts are well-fed and have a variety of food options whilst on their journey. NASA and the Russian Space Agency are two of the most notable organizations that have successfully sent astronauts to space, but how do their food options compare?
NASA Astronaut Food
NASA's Food Systems team has been designing and producing space food for astronauts since the 1960s. They use a combination of science and creativity to make meals that are healthy, tasty, and most importantly, easy to consume in microgravity. NASA has a comprehensive food system that provides the astronauts with three meals a day, snacks, and beverages. The meals have high nutritional content and are usually freeze-dried or thermo-stabilized to prolong their shelf life.
According to NASA, astronauts have a wide variety of food options to choose from, including but not limited to, scrambled eggs, meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs, and even shrimp cocktail. They also have a wide range of snack options, such as dried fruits, mixed nuts, and granola bars. In addition, the astronauts have beverages such as coffee, tea, lemonade, fruit punch, and orange juice.
Russian Space Agency Astronaut Food
The Russian Space Agency has been sending astronauts to space since the Soviet era and has extensive experience developing space food. Their food options are designed to be practical and easy to consume while in microgravity. They provide a variety of foods that are similar to the ones we eat here on Earth, but with some modifications to make them easier to eat in space. They often use traditional Russian cuisine as a basis, and their meals have a soft texture that is easy to swallow in microgravity.
Russian space food is different from that of NASA in terms of variety. Russian cosmonauts have access to about 250 types of food and drinks. They grow some of their own ingredients, such as tomatoes and onions, and have been experimenting with growing wheat and other crops in space. However, unlike NASA, the Russian Space Agency does not have a designated team to create their space food - they outsource to a few select factories.
Comparison
While both NASA and Russian Space Agency provide their astronauts with enough food and beverages for their stay in space, NASA seems to offer a wider variety of food options. NASA has a designated food team that creates and innovates meal options for astronauts, whereas Russian Space Agency outsources from a few select factories.
However, Russian cosmonauts have access to more types of food and drinks, and they also grow some of their ingredients in space, which could be an advantage in the long run. Both organizations have taken steps to create meals that are easy to consume in microgravity, such as using soft and flexible packaging that can be opened without gravity, and food that does not crumble or produce crumbs.
In conclusion, NASA and the Russian Space Agency have different approaches to creating space food for their astronauts, each with its own advantages and shortcomings. More importantly, both space agencies have come up with ways to provide astronauts with meals that are nutritious, palatable, and easy to consume in microgravity conditions.