Long-duration missions require careful planning to ensure an adequate supply of food that is healthy – but also that tastes good! Food must also be lightweight, compact, and have a long shelf life.
Vacuum-sealed and dehydrated foods are commonly used on the International Space Station (ISS).
However, these packets can get boring and so space agencies take people’s preferences into account and make sure they’ve got their favourite food and snacks.
Exciting new technology means that plants and even cultured meat could be grown on board, which would be helpful on long missions, helping to reduce the amount of food they’d need to take – so maybe in the future astronauts can have steak and a salad instead of a packet of puree!
