The Mars menu: This is not Buzz Aldrin's astronaut food

I suppose the only downside to space exploration would be the food. NASA's working on it though.

NASA must provide the crew with some 20,000 meals -- light, with a shelf life of five years. Scientists are experimenting with packaging and preservation, but so far, mac and cheese is out.

That's the good news since I never could stand Mac & Cheese. I suppose it's a bummer if one of the astronauts is into it.

Imagine having to pack more than 6,570 breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners all at once -- enough meals to feed six people every day for more than three years. Imagine preparing all these meals with an allotment of 3.2 pounds of food per person per day, about one-third less than the average American eats each day on Earth. Imagine that each dish needs to have a five-year shelf life. And imagine having to transport all the meals to a dining table 55 million miles away, where cooking equipment will be rudimentary at best.

Source.

Now imagine you're an astronaut and you have to eat something that's been sitting on the shelf for five years.

That's almost as scary as Russian Roulette.

Still, hopefully they will solve the problems before the launch day.

Edit to add source

[edit on 13-8-2009 by mrwupy]

Mind boggling. That's like ten TONS worth of food.

It surprises me that they even still need to USE 'food' as we understand it...do you think it's more of a morale issue?

Surely they could get everything their bodies needed from a few tablets...like those sponge animals that expand when they get wet...or that episode of Flintstones way back...

Seems like they could fit a lot more scientifical measuring type apperatusses if they didn't have to worry about so much weight for food. 10 Tons is a lot of food.

reply to post by mrwupy


Answer: Mars bars

I thought they were going to have a hydroponic greenhouse type situation in the craft for fresh food.

Nevertheless, the logistics do seem staggering ...

Water, deodorant, etc ...

Seems overwhelming.

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
reply to post by mrwupy

 

Nevertheless, the logistics do seem staggering ...

Water, deodorant, etc ...

Seems overwhelming.

I agree. Imagine going five years without a hot shower

They seem to have time to sort it out, it will be 15 to 20 years before they attempt it.

They would almost have to have a greenhouse onboard, otherwise it would be one long, mean trip.