This Is How Astronauts Eat on the International Space Station

Find out what's on the menu for space explorers spending months in Earth's orbit aboard the International Space Station.

Recently, it was revealed that a pair of astronauts, originally scheduled to spend only eight days on the Starliner spacecraft mission, will now be forced to stay in space for several months. Being in Earth's orbit for such an extended period is highly stressful, making proper nutrition crucial. So, what do astronauts eat on board the space station?

In the early days of space exploration, astronauts' food was rather "Spartan." They consumed pureed food stored in tubes, similar to toothpaste tubes. To eat, they simply squeezed the food out of the tube and into their mouths.

However, as technology advanced, not only did the variety of space food improve, but so did its quality. Today, astronauts can choose from dozens of options and even cook on board the station. For example, breakfast might consist of bacon, eggs, coffee, and toast, while dinner could include mashed sweet potatoes and turkey, pumpkin, or asparagus. If they want a quick snack, they can make a sandwich with a Mexican tortilla—such as a peanut butter sandwich. Both the jar and the tortilla float in zero gravity, but this doesn't affect the taste in any way.

Today's astronauts on the International Space Station enjoy personalized menus that even include fresh vegetables. Since 2002, the LADA Greenhouse chamber has been used on board the station not only to study plant growth in space but also to grow edible vegetables. And what do astronauts drink? In addition to mineral water, they have specially packaged freeze-dried beverage mixes such as coffee, tea, lemonade, and orange juice. Astronauts add water to the beverage bag through a pressurized hose and drink through a straw.

In 2015, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti became the first person to drink freshly brewed coffee in space. This was made possible by the introduction of an espresso machine called ISSpresso for the International Space Station. It can also prepare other hot drinks such as tea, hot chocolate, and even broth. Quite fascinating, right?