Archived by Raymond J. Noonan, Ph.D., Health and Physical Education Department, Fashion Institute of Technology of the State University of New York (FIT-SUNY), and SexQuest/The Sex Institute, NYC, for the benefit of students and other researchers interested in the human aspects of the space life sciences. Return to first page for background information on these pages.
Astronaut Food
Microgravity alters many daily activities, including eating and drinking. Picture what would happen to a glass of water in microgravity. Because there is no gravity to keep the water in the glass, the movement of the water is governed by other forces.
Pick up your imaginary glass of water. As you move the glass, the water will slosh around inside the glass. Because there is no gravity, the water will probably slosh over the rim, break up into shimmering balls of water which float away through the air.
Pick up another imaginary glass of water, but move very slowly this time. Because you're moving so slowly, surface tension overcomes the inertia of the water and prevents the water from sloshing over the rim. Try to drink your water. As the water wets your lips, surface tension pulls some water out of the glass and onto your face. If you inhale at the wrong time, you could drown from a glass of water! To prevent these problems with drinks, astronauts use squeeze bottles and drink bags with straws.
For eating food in microgravity, the problem is a little more complicated. Crumbs would float away, possibly getting into equipment or experiments. Hot food could touch an astronaut's skin and scald him. Cutting a thick steak would be difficult: as you press down with your knife, you could push yourself away from the table! To prevent these problems with food, the food is selected carefully and stored in containers designed for use in microgravity.
After meals, crew members put empty food containers into trash bags, which are then sealed and stored in lockers. Reusable eating utensils and trays are cleaned with germicidal wet wipes.
You can go back to where you came from, back to the frequently asked questions, or jump back to the beginning.For information on the Orbiter hardware associated with food, take a look at the section on food system and dining in the Space Shuttle News Reference at KSC.
Last modified: Jan 11, 1995Author: Ken Jenks
Raymond J. Noonan, Ph.D. Health and Physical Education Department Fashion Institute of Technology of the State University of New York (FIT-SUNY); SexQuest/The Sex Institute, NYC P.O. Box 20166, New York, NY 10014 (212) 217-7460 |
Author of: R. J. Noonan. (1998). A Philosophical Inquiry into the Role of Sexology in Space Life Sciences Research and Human Factors Considerations for Extended Spaceflight. Dr. Ray Noonan’s Dissertation Information Pages: [Abstract] [Table of Contents] [Preface] [AsMA 2000 Presentation Abstract] |
First published on the Web on June 14, 1998
