Tag: Long duration missions

In the early days of space travel, astronauts consumed pureed foods from tubes. Modern astronauts on missions lasting up to nine months now enjoy a diverse menu, designed to meet nutritional needs and boost morale in orbit.

According to NASA, the International Space Station stocks about 3.8 pounds of food per astronaut per day, along with extra supplies to support unexpected mission extensions. This comprehensive preparedness means crews are highly unlikely to face starvation.

According to research published by the National Institutes of Health, unicellular algae like spirulina and chlorella have been used by astronauts for decades due to their impressive nutritional density. These and other nutritional aids are part of a carefully managed regimen of what food supplements do space travellers use to maintain health and performance in a harsh extraterrestrial environment.

In early space missions, astronauts squeezed unappetizing food paste from tubes, but today's cuisine is much more advanced. A key to this evolution is dehydration, a critical process that makes food suitable for the challenging space environment for a variety of scientific and logistical reasons.