Far Out Food Science
By Cheryl Goodrich, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Monroe County
In April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. His spacecraft made one orbit around Earth in a flight that lasted 108 minutes. Over the years, the amount of time that astronauts were able to stay in space increased from hours, to days, to weeks, to months and eventually to more than a year. Valeri Polyakov currently holds the record for the longest consecutive stay in space at 437 days, from January of 1994 to March of 1995.
Staying in space for such a long time would not be possible without food scientists and nutritionists who have found ways to supply food for astronauts on these long missions. Many people think that astronauts only eat freeze-dried rations that come in foil packages. While that may have been the case at one time, food science has come a long way over the years.
Check out this video of a former astronaut explaining what it’s like to eat in space:
Are you interested in food science? There are a wide variety of careers in food science and technology. Food scientists solve problems like how to preserve foods by freezing, drying, or canning and still have them taste good. They might look for ways to make milk and other dairy products last longer. Some food scientists study the types of foods preferred by consumers to help companies develop and market new products.
Ready to try a food experiment of your own? Use this recipe to make a single-serving chocolate cake in just one minute.
World’s Best Minute Chocolate Cake
If your cake is a success, maybe your next project could be developing a better ice cream for the astronauts!
References:
Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space
One Year in Space: A History of Ultra-Long Missions Off Planet Earth
