Spaceman Requests?

[Mayhaw Man]

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. I greatly enjoyed reading the material you supplied which answered many of the questions that I had intended on asking, but one thing that was not covered was the subject of requests for specific items by astronauts and how they are handled by your agency.

Do the astronauts have much input on what they get to eat? And if they do, what is the turnaround time on an item that is requested being turned into space food? Do you send up foods based on the nationalities of the astronauts (I understand that Ilan Ramon, the Israeli astronaut who was tragically killed last year asked for some Kosher items) or do the flyers pretty much get what they get, regardless of nationality?

[Vickie Kloeris]

The astronauts get to choose their menus from a list of the foods that are available. The U.S. food and beverages together total about 200 different items. On the International Space Station (ISS), we also use food items from the Russian food system which adds about 100 additional items that the ISS crewmembers can choose from. Almost all of the crewmembers menu must come from the list of items we have available. However, we do allow the crewmembers to take very small quantities of special request items. On Shuttle these items are stowed in the fresh food tray. For ISS these special request items are included in the crewmembers "bonus" tray. Whether on Shuttle or ISS, these items must meet microbiological specifications and have sufficient shelf life, without refrigeration, for the particular mission upon which the foods will be used. In the case of foreign payload specialists, like Ilan Ramon, we do often include a small quantity of foods from their country when they request it. Specifically, Ilan Ramon took some U.S. produced, commercially available thermostabilized Kosher items as part of the fresh food on STS-107.

[Mayhaw Man]

Thank you for your answer.

As a follow up, would it be possible to see a list of what the Cosmonauts eat and drink?

Thanks,

[Jason Perlow]

For those interested, here's an Adobe Acrobat document with a complete shuttle menu in it (Circa 1996).

I agree, I'd love to see the list of Russian food items, and the current full updated ISS/Shuttle list.

[Vickie Kloeris]

Here is the latest list we have from the Russian food specialists of what they have available:

LIST OF RUSSIAN PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED

FOR THE ISS CREW FOOD RATIONS

ПЕРЕЧЕНЬ РОССИЙСКИХ ПРОДУКТОВ,

РЕКОМЕНДУЕМЫХ ДЛЯ ВВЕДЕНИЯ В РАЦИОН ПИТАНИЯ

ЭКИПАЖЕЙ МКС

Thermostabilized Products: Mass 100.0 g Термостабилизированные продукты: масса 100,0 г.

Meat in white sauce Мясо в белом соусе

Jellied meat Мясо в желе

Piquant pork Свинина пикантная

Beef goulash Гуляш говяжий

Pork goulash Гуляш свиной

Chicken w/ eggs Мясо куриное с яйцом

Chicken w/ prunes Мясо куриное с черносливом

Omelet w/ chicken Омлет с куриным мясом

Rossiyskiy cheese Сыр российский

Pike perch Polish style Судак по-польски

Spiced pike perch Судак пикантный

Jellied pike-perch quenelles Кнели из судака в желе

Pike perch in Baltika sauce Судак в соусе «Балтика»

Bream in tomato sauce Лещ в остром томатно-горчичном соусе

Jellied pike perch Судак в желе

Sturgeon Осетр натуральный

Appetizing appetizer Закуска аппетитная

Vegetable spread Икра любительская

Eggplant spread Икра баклажанная

Chocolate and nuts * Крем шоколадно-ореховый*

Cottage cheese w/ applesauce Творог с яблочным пюре

Mashed dried apricot Пюре из кураги

Crushed foxberry Брусника дробленная

Honey (natural) – 120.0 g Мед (натуральный) – 120,0 г.

Thermostabilized juices, beverages, and sauces in tubes: Mass 165.0 g Термостабилизированные соки, напитки, соусы в тубах: масса 165,0 г.

Foxberry juice w/ sugar Сок брусничный с сахаром

Black currant juice w/ sugar Сок черносмородиновый с сахаром

Apple juice w/ sugar Сок яблочный с сахаром

Cherry juice w/ sugar Сок вишневый с сахаром

Cherry-apple juice w/sugar Сок вишнево-яблочный с сахаром

Apple – cranberry drink Напиток яблочно-клюквенный

Orange – cranberry drink Напиток апельсиново-клюквенный

Cranberry drink Напиток из клюквы

Apple-cranberry sauce Приправа яблочно-клюквенная

Tomato vegetable sauce Соус томатно-овощной «Молдова»

Russian mustard ** Горчица «Русская» **

Cottage cheese w/ fruit puree (cranberry, apple, and black currant) Творог с фруктовым пюре (клюквенным, яблочным, черносмородиновым)

Baked Goods, in g Хлебные изделия, г.

Honey cake 45.0 Коврижка медовая 45.0

Moscow rye bread 45.0 Хлеб ржаной московский 45.0

Wheat bread enriched 30.0 Хлеб пшеничный сдобный 30.0

Table bread 45.0 Хлеб столовый 45.0

Borodinskiy bread 45.0 Хлеб бородинский 45.0

Thermostabilized Products: Mass 250.0 g Термостабилизированные продукты: масса 250,0 г.

Meat w/ vermicelli Мясо с вермишелью

Meat w/ buckwheat gruel Мясо с гречневой кашей

Meat w/ barley kasha Мясо с перловой кашей

Chicken w/ buckwheat gruel Мясо цыплят с гречневой кашей

Chicken in white sauce Мясо цыплят в белом соусе

Chicken w/ rice Мясо цыплят с рисом

Chicken w/ vegetables * Мясо цыплят с овощами

Liver w/ potatoes Печень с картофелем

Beef w/ vegetables Говядина с овощным гарниром

Meat and vegetable casserole Запеканка мясо-овощная

Lamb w/ vegetables Баранина с овощами

Pork w/ potatoes Свинина с картофелем

Tokana meat and vegetables Токана мясо-овощная

Meat and vegetable soup Солянка мясо-овощная

Apple dessert Десерт из яблок

Rehydratable Products, in g Продукты сублимационной сушки, г

Beet salad 50.0 Салат из свеклы 50.0

Pureed vegetable soup 30.0 Суп-пюре овощной 30.0

Peasant Soup 30.0 Суп крестьянский 30.0

Kharcho mutton soup 30.0 Суп харчо 30.0

Sauerkraut soup 25.0 Щи из квашенной капусты 25.0

Borsch w/ meat 30.0 Борщ с мясом 30.0

Pickled cucumber/meat soup (Rassolnik) 30.0 Рассольник с мясом 30.0

Home-style beef 50.0 Говядина по-домашнему 50.0

Azu beef stew 50.0 Азу 50.0

Pasta w/ meat 50.0 Макаронные изделия с мясом 50.0

Vegetable ragout w/ meat 50.0 Рагу овощное с мясом 50.0

Pork w/ Lecho sauce 50.0 Свинина с лечо 50.0

Sweet peas w/ milk sauce 50.0 Горошек в молочном соусе 50.0

Mashed potatoes 50.0 Картофельное пюре 50.0

Mashed potatoes w/ onions 50.0 Картофельное пюре с луком 50.0

Buckwheat gruel 60.0 Каша гречневая 60.0

Stewed cabbage 25.0 Капуста тушеная 25.0

Assorted vegetables 25.0 Ассорти овощное 25.0

Buckwheat gruel w/ milk 50.0 Каша гречневая с молоком 50.0

Goulash w/ buckwheat gruel 50.0 Гуляш с кашей гречневой (картофельным пюре, макаронными изделиями, горошком в молочном соусе) 50.0

Cottage cheese w/ nuts 100.0 Творог с орехами 100.0

Cottage cheese w/ black currant 100.0 Творог с черносмородиновым пюре 100.0

Cottage cheese w/ buckthorn 100.0 Творог с облепиховым пюре 100.0

Milk 25.0 Молоко 25.0

Apricot juice w/ pulp 30.0 Сок абрикосовый с мякотью 30.0

Peach-black currant juice w/ pulp 45.0 Сок персиково-черносмород. с мякотью 45.0

Peach juice w/ pulp 30.0 Сок персиковый с мякотью 30.0

Apple-black currant juice w/ pulp 40.0 Сок яблочно-черносмород. с мякотью 40.0

Black currant juice w/ pulp 50.0 Сок черносмородиновый с мякотью 50.0

Cherry juice w/ pulp 40.0 Сок вишневый с мякотью 40.0

Peach-apricot juice w/ pulp 30.0 Сок персиково-абрикосовый с мякотью 30.0

Apple-peach juice w/ pulp 30.0 Сок яблочно- персиковый с мякотью 30.0

Black currant jelly w/ pectin 75.0 Кисель черносмородиновый с пектином 75.0

Vegetable (tomato) juice * 15.0 Сок овощной (томатный) 15.0

Dried Beverages, in g Сухие напитки, г

Tea w/ sugar 23.0 Чай с сахаром 23.0

Tea w/ sugar and glucose 23.0 Чай с сахаром и глюкозой 23.0

Tea w/o sugar 3.0 Чай без сахара 3.0

Coffee w/ sugar 19.0 Кофе с сахаром 19.0

Coffee w/ sugar and glucose 19.0 Кофе с сахаром и глюкозой 19.0

Coffee w/o sugar 4.0 Кофе без сахара 4.0

Green tea * 3.0 Чай зеленый * 3.0

Currant tea w/ sugar 23.0 Чай Смородина с сахаром 23.0

Currant tea w/o sugar 3.0 Чай Смородина без сахара 3.0

Earl Grey tea w/ sugar 23.0 Чай Граф Грей с сахаром 23.0

Earl Grey tea w/o sugar 3.0 Чай Граф Грей без сахара 3.0

Strawberry tea w/ sugar 23.0 Чай Клубника с сахаром 23.0

Strawberry tea w/o sugar 3.0 Чай Клубника без сахара 3.0

Patissery and Fruit-Berry Concentrates Кондитерские изделия и фруктово-ягодные концентраты

Hard chocolate 50.0 Шоколад (тугопл.) 50.0

«Utro» candy 50.0 Конфеты «Утро» 50.0

«Russkoye» cookies 30.0 Печенье «Русское» 30.0

«Vostok» cookies 30.0 Печенье «Восток» 30.0

Plum-cherry fruit dessert 50.0 Десерт фруктовый слива-вишня 50.0

«Stelutsa» fruit dessert 50.0 Десерт фруктовый «Стелуца» 50.0

Prunes 50.0 Чернослив 50.0

Kuraga 50.0 Курага 50.0

Apples w/ nuts 60.0 Яблоки с орехами 60.0

Prunes stuffed w/ nuts 60.0 Чернослив с орехами 60.0

Quince bar 50.0 Палочки из айвы 50.0

Apple-plum bar 50.0 Палочки из яблок и слив 50.0

Apple-apricot bar 50.0 Палочки из яблок и абрикосов 50.0

Hazelnuts 25.0 Орехи фундук 25.0

[Jason Perlow]

Vickie, thats a really interesting list.

Besides the food items themselves, what in particular in terms of food technology and food science have the Russians brought to the space program? For example I understand that on the ISS, some of the water purification and reclamation technology (urine reprocessing) is derived from Russian technology.

[Rachel Perlow]

"Jellied pike-perch quenelles Кнели из судака в желе"

Sounds like Gefilte Fish to me!

[Vickie Kloeris]

Although the U.S. space food system and the Russian space food system developed independently, they are almost identical in their methods of food preservation. The U.S. uses foods of the following types: thermostabilized, freeze-dried, intermediate moisture, natural-form, powdered beverages, and irradiated. The Russians use the same preservation methods, except they do not use irradiated meat products, like we do. Our packaging systems are quite different, however, so the packaging would represent the significant difference in our food technologies. FYI: Although the Russian water processing technology is currently used aboard ISS, NASA has done and is doing extensive work on water processing technology for spaceflight. The Russian technology is used because that equipment is part of Russian built modules on ISS.

[Rieslingfan]

For what it's worth, I work for the company that is under contract and currently building the ISS water reclamation (and oxygen generation) system. It's not based on the Russian technology at all. In fact there's some of it that's quite new in terms of technology. We're doing the first test run of the system today!

Hopefully when we RTF the system will go up as part of the (we hope) Node 3 of the ISS.

[Rieslingfan]

Vickie,

Have any of hte astronauts ever (jokingly) asked for take out from Papacito's?

[FistFullaRoux]

The "Appetizing appetizer Закуска аппетитная" sounds... um.... appetizing?

[Pan]

I'd say that in all seriousness, a lot of the items on the Russian food list sound like they might be appetizing. Of course, I have no way of knowing what they actually taste like.

[Vickie Kloeris]

We do run into some interesting problems with translating the names of Russian foods into English and the other way around. "Appetizing appetizer' doesn't tell you (or a crewmember) a whole lot about the food does it? We have a product called Fiesta Chicken (Southwestern style spices) and when it gets translated into Russian it comes out as "party chicken". This is equally confusing to the Russians.