Russian Space Food – Apple and Blackcurrant Juice

Russian Space Food – Apple and Blackcurrant Juice

Freeze dried drinks, such as this, have been consumed by astronauts since the early days of space flight. Space travel poses considerable challenges when it comes to eating. Space food and drink must be light-weight, compact, stay fresh for extended periods of time and must be easy to consume in microgravity. Stray crumbs or excess liquid could spell disaster. Perhaps most importantly the food and drink must provide the necessary calories and nutrients required by the astronauts and still be pleasant to eat.

Freeze-drying food and drink overcomes many of these problems. The process of freeze drying involves freezing the food or drink, then placing it in a vacuum chamber. The reduction in pressure allows the frozen water present to sublimate directly from a solid to a gas. The water is removed from the food or drink, leaving the nutrients intact. It is then vacuum packed. The end product is much lighter and can be kept at room temperature for long periods of time. Once in space, the astronauts rehydrate it by injecting water into the package.

Web resources

• The History of Space Food