Space food simulator

Would you like to know what and how astronauts eat in space? Space food significantly differs from our usual food which we eat every day at home; first of all, it is specially cooked and, of course, specially packed. We have the opportunity not only to learn but also to taste the space food and to try to cook it with the help of a special simulator, which is the part of the astronauts’ training technical means on the ISS Russian Segment life-support system. It is designed for astronauts’ training on cooking and rational using of space food onboard the orbital complex.

Just imagine how difficult it is for astronauts to do simple life things which really seem so easy for us! They live in the conditions of permanent weightlessness! And even lunch for them is a whole activity when they should use all their skills gained during the training sessions in Star city.

Crews learn on the ground how to heat canned food in the specially designed electrical heaters, to fill dry food packages with water trough special adaptors from Water system (СРВ-К2М). While filling packages with water astronauts should be very careful because any incorrect movement in weightlessness can cause a lot of trouble for the crew.

The table layout is also not regular. For special food they use special utensils, which differ from our usual, for example, the table is equipped with unknown on the Earth unit with a weird name “crumb catcher”. What it is and what other unusual devices are used in space, what peculiarities astronauts face when eating space food and how it tastes – all these and many other interesting facts can be learnt about during a special class on the Space food!