Dining in 0 gravity: Astronauts' meals on ISS
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) don't just eat bland food—meals are carefully planned months ahead to meet their nutrition needs in microgravity.
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla even brought a taste of home by sharing gajar ka halwa with his crew, showing there's room for variety and comfort food up there.
Nutritionists customize each astronaut's meal plan, making sure everyone gets the right amount of calories.
What is space food like?
Space food is mostly freeze-dried or heat-treated so it lasts longer and weighs less.
Astronauts rehydrate their meals using special stations and warm them up before eating.
Since everything floats in zero gravity, they use trays with velcro to keep utensils—and dinner—firmly in place.
Growing food in space
For future long missions, scientists are testing ways to grow crops like potatoes and spinach on the ISS using LED lights and no soil.
They're also looking at microalgae as a possible source of food and even fuel.
These innovations could help astronauts stay healthy on deep space journeys—or maybe one day, on the Moon!