Insects ... food of astronauts in the future

Since humanity began to set foot in the universe, the astronaut's food has always been improved to suit the zero gravity environment. The first dish is ice cream, then some kinds of pasta, chocolate cake . In the near future, food sources for space diners can be . insects.

Long flights in space, such as Mars, require astronauts to grow their own food, but diets with cereals and vegetables do not provide effective fat and amino acids. . To solve this problem, the Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) is studying the project of feeding insects to the astronauts.

According to Canadian researcher Robert Kok, insects reproduce very quickly, so mica farms can produce stable food sources for humans or other animals . They also effectively metabolize substances that cannot be eaten by humans such as mulberry leaves, wood, waste . into body weight. Therefore, insects such as silkworms, beetles, termites or worms can help replenish the lack of nutrients in the astronaut's diet. Japanese researchers used to make biscuits from silkworms.

Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi - the first to bring instant noodles into space. (Photo: pref.osaka.jp)

JAXA came up with the intention to make Japanese-style ' space menu ' for astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) after astronaut Soichi Noguchi instant noodles on the Discovery ship. of the US in 2005. With the support of food companies such as Nissin Food Products, JAXA now produces ' fried space cakes ', ' seaweed soup ' and ' space green tea '. Currently, the agency is testing Japanese beef curry, miso sauce made with mackerel and red bean cake.

In order to meet the space standards, food must have a shelf life of at least 1 year, rich in nutrition, easy to prepare and can be eaten under zero gravity conditions. Some can be eaten instant like chocolate cake and fruit, others need more water like pasta (fiber), cheese. In the spacecraft and on the ISS there is also a field kitchen for reheating food. Because there is no refrigerator, space food must be stored in a separate way to avoid damage. Spices are provided in space such as tomato sauce, mustard and mayonnaise. Salt and pepper are also available, but only in liquid form because if they are sprinkled, they will fly. This will be dangerous because they can jam the ventilation system, stain the device or fly into the astronaut's eyes, nose or mouth.

Every day, astronauts eat 3 sessions including morning, lunch and afternoon with food produced by the US and Russia to ensure a balance between the vitamins and minerals. The astronaut's calorie needs vary by weight and gender, but only small female astronauts only need 1,900 calories per day while a tall male colleague needs about 3,200 calories a day. There are many types of astronaut food and drinks to choose from, such as fruit, peanut butter, chicken, beef, seafood, pastries, candy ., coffee, tea, orange juice, lemon juice, water Assorted fruit juices, and all are packed so that food does not float in the spaceship compartment.

N.MINH