"6_2_5_5.TXT" (3076 bytes) was created on 03-22-88

                WHAT SPACE TRAVELERS EAT
     The one, two, and three-person crews in earlier programs ate their meals
out of containers or pouches, most commonly prepared by adding water and
kneading the mixture by hand.  The food was nutritious, but not very
appetizing.  The Space Shuttle carried eight people on one mission, and seven
has been a common number.  For these large crews, or missions planned to last
for a week or more, a galley "mission kit" can be loaded in the orbiter mid
deck.
     The mid deck galley includes special serving trays that hold the different
food containers in place in microgravity.  It also has a convection-type oven
where packages of food are warmed before going into the trays.  A small dining
area, consisting of a table and several foot loops, is  optional on each
mission.  The foot loops are floor restraints that help the astronauts steady
themselves and remain in place while eating.
     If no galley is loaded aboard, the astronauts eat virtually the same
meals, but they are heated inside a food warmer the size of a suitcase.
Earth-bound chefs might envy meal preparation on the orbiter.  One crew member
can prepare meals for four people in about five minutes (excluding heating
time).
     The orbiter does not normally carry a refrigerator because of the weight.
If one is needed for biomedical experiments, and extra room is available, foods
such as ice cream and frozen steaks may be added to the astronaut menu.
     About half the Shuttle foods and beverages are preserved by dehydration,
which saves both weight and storage space.  There is ample water for
rehydration, since the fuel cells that power the orbiter produce it as a
by-product when generating electricity. (Both hot and cool water are
available.)  Some foods are thermo- stabilized -- that is, heat-sterilized and
then sealed in conventional cans or plastic pouches.  A few, such as cookies
and nuts, are available in a ready-to-eat form.
     Meals in orbit are both tasty and nutritious.  The menu includes more than
70 food items and 20 beverages.  With so many different choices available,
astronaut crews can have a varied menu every day for four days.
     What are these meals in space like?  The menu for a typical day might
start with orange drink, peaches, scrambled eggs, sausage, cocoa and a sweet
roll for breakfast; cream of mushroom soup, ham and cheese sandwich, stewed
tomatoes, banana and cookies for launch; and shrimp cocktail, beefsteak,
broccoli au gratin, strawberries, pudding and cocoa for dinner.
     The carefully selected menus provide about 3,000 calories per person
daily, although crew members are not required to eat that much.  Previous space
missions demonstrated that astronauts need at least as many calories in space
as they do on Earth.
     Meals served on the Space Station, at least at the beginning, will
resemble those available on the Space Shuttle.  Later, perhaps small vegetable
gardens will supply fresh produce, as well as absorb carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere while supplying oxygen for the crew.