E-Paper
Over 100 varieties of food available to 3 Chinese astronauts
With a diameter of 4.2m, Tianhe is more spacious than a train or subway carriage, providing astronauts with six zones for work, sleep, sanitation, dining, healthcare and exercise
More than 100 varieties of food are available to the three Chinese astronauts during their three-month stay inside under-construction space station’s core module, Tianhe, which they entered on Thursday.
Launched on Shenzhou-12, the three astronauts, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo entered Tianhe after a six-and-half hour journey, marking the first time Chinese nationals will have their own space in earth’s lower orbit.
With a diameter of 4.2m, Tianhe is more spacious than a train or subway carriage, providing astronauts with six zones for work, sleep, sanitation, dining, healthcare and exercise, Chinese state media said.
Much scientific thought went behind the diet of the astronauts, which kept in mind not only their health but also their taste and dietary preferences.
The dry food rations were delivered to the core module last month in the cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-2, which carried 160 parcels weighing 6.8 tonnes.
The cargo spacecraft even carried a “super refrigerator” to ensure that the food packages remained fresh for months.
Included in the dry food packages for the astronauts were 100 varieties of dishes, both staple and non-staple foods besides meat and vegetable combinations.
“Space food, including many classic Chinese cuisines, has been delivered by the cargo freighter Tianzhou-2. From staple foods to non-staples, from meat to vegetables, the menu design is of high quality and appetising for astronauts. Famous stir-fried Chinese dishes like shredded pork with garlic sauce and Kung Pao chicken are both on the menu,” the news agency Xinhua said.
“There are even Sichuan dishes, fish-flavoured pork shreds…(and) ice cream and desserts,” the paper.cn said in a report.
The three will also have the option to choose from instant food, beverages, condiments, and functional foods.
The food available in the “space canteen” has been developed and produced in strict accordance with the aerospace food standards, the report said.
Not only is balanced nutrition critical in what the astronauts eat, what is also equally important is to make eating convenient.
The food available to them can be eaten in one bite: The items are small, solid, bone-less, and entirely edible without residues to reduce meal waste as much as possible.
What’s more, lest the astronauts get bored with eating the same dishes every day, the meals have been designed in such a way to ensure that the same dish is not repeated in days.
Required appliances are in place as well.
“The dining area is equipped with a food heating device, refrigerator, water dispenser and folding table. In the exercise area, the treadmill and spin bike provide them options to maintain physical health,” the Xinhua report said.
“The waste and human excrement will be stored in Tianzhou-2, which will eventually depart from orbit and burn up on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere”.
