Broccoli au gratin, barbecued beef brisket, and granola topped with blueberries. These were just some of the items on the menu during the Artemis II expedition. Fortunately for today’s astronauts, space food has come a long way since the 1960s, when Yuri Gagarin became the first person to eat in space after consuming a less-than-appetizing tube of beef and liver paste.
Still, as space agencies gear up for longer missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond, the challenge of developing nutritionally rich food that can survive long journeys remains. One solution, say researchers writing in ACS Food Science & Technology, could come in the form of customizable beverages.
Chemists from the U.K. and Australia have designed nanoemulsions that contain essential nutrients, like omega-3, and taste like flat soda. Crucially, the liquids appear to remain stable in Earth’s gravity and in microgravity, meaning the drinks can be mixed in space and cater to astronauts’ needs and preferences in the moment.
“Being one small piece in the big puzzle of human space exploration and helping astronauts stay healthy is a visionary privilege,” co-author Volker Hessel, a professor at Adelaide University’s School of Chemical Engineering, said in a statement.
Developing Space-Friendly Drinks
For the study, the team tested processes that combined water-soluble ingredients, such as sugar, with oil-soluble ingredients, such as aroma compounds and omega-3 fatty acids, to create nanoemulsions. From these, the team produced 11-fluid-ounce (or 330-milliliter) servings of drinks containing up to a third of the recommended daily dosage of omega-3 fatty acid – a nutrient associated with bone formation and a decreased risk of certain cancers.
In addition to the omega-3, sugar adds sweetness and calories, while acid is a preservative and offers tanginess. Aroma compounds provided flavor, and carrier oils derived from coconut oil were included to help stabilize the formation.
By carefully selecting the ingredients and incorporating a continuous microfluidic process, the team produced formulations that could be produced both on Earth and in space. This would mean they could be produced on demand and cater to individual astronauts’ nutritional needs and taste preferences.
In total, the researchers described six different recipes. These involve two levels of sweetness (medium and high) and three flavors (rose, orange, and a floral citrus). The study’s authors explained it would be possible to expand the range by adding more flavors, adjusting sweetness levels, and fortifying other essential nutrients, such as vitamin D, which astronauts often lack.
However, before the emulsions can be included in future space missions, further studies need to double-check that the drinks meet food safety standards and determine the products’ shelf life. Another issue is the taste itself, especially as omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish oil was used. It is still unknown if astronauts would enjoy drinking the beverages.
Still, the researchers say their work shows that the process is “a viable approach” to producing drinks fortified with key nutrients.
Read More: This Astronaut Snuck a Corned Beef Sandwich in His Suit — Here’s Why NASA Saw This as a Serious Risk
Eating in Space
The recent Artemis II expedition took a little over 10 days, but a round-trip to Mars is expected to last years. There’s a clear need then to develop food that is nutritious and long-lasting, and can also reduce the food monotony that occurs when astronauts are exposed to the same food over and over again.
Those aboard the International Space Station (ISS) currently rely on a combination of dehydrated and thermostabilized foods, and fresh fruits and vegetables flown in every few months or so. While bread is avoided because crumbs could damage both the spacecraft and the astronauts themselves, meals on board the space station have involved everything from paté and pizza to samosas and sushi. There has even been a bacon sarnie in a tin, produced by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal.
For their trip around the moon, the Artemis II astronauts brought 189 unique meals, more than 10 types of drinks, five hot sauces, and 58 tortillas.
Read More: Recycled Human Waste Could Help Grow Food on the Moon and Mars
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