Eating in Space

You’d think eating in space would've come a long way since the days of Tang and dehydrated ice cream (I remember getting some of this when we visited Cape Canaveral) but I wonder? Recently I read a couple of things about food in space.

Apparently red lettuce is being grown on the International Space Station. NASA announced that the veggie growth system with special lighting and seeds has been activated. Temperature control, carbon dioxide, and water come from the cabin conditions and the astronauts themselves. The catch (in my humble opinion) is that the romaine lettuce grown and harvested on the ISS will be frozen and returned to Earth so scientists can determine if the space-grown food is safe, nutritious, and tasty. The hope is that eventually the veggie growing system will be used to grow fresh vegetables for the astronauts aboard ISS.

Next I read about 3 volunteers in China that have just spent 3 months eating beetle larvae (mealworms) as part of a project testing life support systems for deep space travel. During their time in the artificial biosphere at Beijing University the volunteers grew and harvested grain, veggies, and fruit and fed the inedible parts of their harvest to mealworms. Along with some meat the volunteers ate dozens of mealworms each day cooked with different cooking styles and seasonings.

Too bad the astronauts on board the ISS won’t get a chance to enjoy a nice romaine salad. I don’t think the scientists back here will fine the frozen lettuce tasty either. I can also assure you that no amount of seasonings would make mealworms appetizing to me. Give me the good old days as far as eating in space goes, I’m sticking with Tang and dehydrated ice cream!