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Eating is an essential activity for every living organism. Here
on Earth, we humans can drive to the grocery store, visit a McDonald's drive thru,
or open the refrigerator and cupboards to choose the foods we want to eat. We
can then turn on the faucet to wash ingredients and cook meals on the stove or grill,
or in the microwave – all without fear of our food floating away. Astronauts do
not have these same conveniences and choices. So how do they eat and cook in outer
space?
Here are three experiments that kids can perform to get a
"taste" of life in space. For information about the history (and problems) of
eating in space, check out "How to Stop Your Dinner From Floating Away", right here on CR4.
Experiment 1: Rehydration
Rehydration is an essential part of eating in space . If astronauts
were to transport foods in their full form, the water and packaging materials would add
weight and require more storage space. Water, of course, is limited aboard a
spacecraft. Consequently, astronauts are allowed only a certain amount of H2O
for rehydrating food items.
For this experiment, you'll need a Ziploc sandwich bag, a straw,
a package of instant pudding, powdered coffee creamer, and a syringe. First, put
approximately 1/3 of the bag of pudding mix and 1 tablespoon of coffee creamer
into the sandwich bag. The creamer makes this concoction sweeter since pudding
is made normally with milk instead of water.
Cut a small slit in one side of the sandwich bag,
approximately ΒΌ of the way down from the top. Now insert the straw into the
slit seal it in place with tape and zip-seal the bag. Give the bag to your
junior astronaut and have the child use the syringe to add water through the
straw. To mix the water into the powder, the child must grasp the outside of
the bag and knead the two ingredients together. Continue to add water through
the syringe and straw until the mixture is completely hydrated. Finally, have
your junior astronaut eat the pudding through the straw – just like astronauts
do.
Experiment 2: Vacuum Sealed
Another major concern for astronauts is the growth of bacteria
and mold on their foods. To eliminate this unappetizing problem, all foods must
be vacuum-sealed. This also minimizes the amount of packaging materials that must
be brought aboard the spacecraft. Remember: There are no dumps in outer space.
What goes up must come down.
To prepare lunch for an astronaut, you'll need a vacuum
sealer. Because some foods work better than others, you'll also need to plan your
menu.
Main Course: Astronauts do not vacuum-seal Wonder bread. Without
air, the stuff gets pretty nasty. Fortunately, tortillas stay tasty in space. Cheese
sandwiches and hotdogs wrapped in tortillas work the best. For this experiment,
wrap either a hotdog or piece of cheese in a tortilla, and then vacuum-seal this
main course. Heat the package in a microwave oven for approximately 45 seconds
at high-power. Dinner is served!
Drink: Please don't try to vacuum-seal your own drinks. Just
imagine the kind of mess that this would make!
A good off-the-shelf option is Capri
sun pouches. They are about as close to an "astronaut design" as you can get.
Snack: Previously-dried foods such as dried fruit and beef
jerky work the best in the vacuum sealer.
Dessert: M&M's are a favorite and colorful choice.
Experiment 3: Full Meal
To make a full, astronaut-like meal, you need a tray like
you'd find in a cafeteria or fast food restaurant. To hold your utensils in
place, attach several magnets to the tray. Typically, astronauts eat with a metal
fork, knife, spoon and scissors. To hold your meal in place, attach strips of
Velcro to the tray and your vacuum-sealed food items. Now stick the food items
to the tray. Finally, wrap a piece of elastic or large rubber band around the
tray. Your junior astronaut can now slide things under the band (such as a
napkin) and hold them in place.
Have fun eating a full "astronaut meal" with your kids! But be
sure to remind them that any crumbs or spills could be life threatening if they
float away and into the equipment.
That's the end of Unit 2. Look for Unit 3 next week, right
here on CR4. And if you missed Unit 1, don't despair. It can be found here on
CR4, too.
CR4 Aerospace Blog
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