|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
| TAKE ME TO YOUR CHEF | |||
It's countdown time until Mark Shuttleworth blasts off into outer space. Sure, he's going to have a soft landing, but the question on every mothering woman's lips is ‘Will he have enough to eat’. The answer is yes, and it’s going to be tasty too. |
So, what will the first South African in space be eating? We’ve heard horror stories about space food coming out of tubes and cans, but times have surely changed since Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel in space in 1961. Today cosmonauts eat balanced meals that aren’t half bad at all, and a bonus is that they get to choose what they eat from an extensive menu. Mark has been testing the meals throughout his stay in Russia, and only his favourites will be packed for him (after the dieticians have done their work on it). What else would you expect when you pay some twenty million dollars?
The daily menu - once they’re on the space station - is based on frozen, refrigerated and ambient food. Frozen food includes entrees, veges and desserts. Refrigerated foods are fresh and freshtreated fruits and veges, extended shelf-life refrigerated foods and dairy products. Ambient food include thermostabilised, aseptic-fill, shelf-stable natural form foods and rehydratable beverages. Almost as complicated as the mission itself.
Food is also divided into Daily menu (as described above), EVA food – extra Vehicular Activity food (such as a nutrient rich snack bar) for when they’re outside of their transport working on the space station, and Safe Haven food – in case of on-board operating failure…
Everyone is tight-lipped about taking alcohol on board (we know the Americans certainly don’t), but there is the rumour that one Russian cosmonaut once tried to tear down the panes on MIR to get to the vodka stash. And then Remy Martin – makers of excellent cognac - have created limited edition Remy Space. It’s tipple in space-proof bottles so that space travellers too can enjoy a swig after a long day’s work.
Back to the food: we’ve taken the liberty of compiling a possible daily menu for Mark’s journey for the next ten days – taking the items from the International Space Stations’ menu and the supplies that he and his fellow cosmonauts are taking to the station.
And the best of all, you can join him, if not in spirit, then in stomach by preparing the same dishes at home – with help from food24.
DAY ONE
Breakfast:
Mid-Morning Snack:
Lunch:
Afternoon Snack:
Dinner:
Evening Snack:
All in all, not a bad menu at all, and more than fit for earthbound mortals like you and me. Watch this space for space menus over the 10 days of our African space cadet's travels.
| story by Anthea Jonathan | |
| image by to your chef | |
