Pizza, shrimp: How Sunita Williams survived 9 months on ISS
What's the story
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is back on Earth after a nine-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS).
During her long stay, she got to eat a variety of items including pizza, roast chicken, and shrimp cocktails as per The New York Post. However, fresh fruits and vegetables were limited due to storage constraints.
"There's fresh fruit at first," an insider told the publication. "But later that goes away — and the fruits and vegetables are packaged or freeze-dried."
Preparation process
How is food prepared for space missions?
The food eaten by astronauts is usually customized to fulfill their daily nutritional requirements and is mostly freeze-dried or packaged.
It can be reheated using a food warmer present at the space station.
According to a NASA report, nearly 1.72kg of food per astronaut per day are stocked at the ISS, along with some extra supplies for unplanned mission extensions.
Resource management
Water for food preparation sourced from ISS's tank
The food items, particularly meat and eggs, are pre-cooked on Earth and only require reheating in space.
The water needed for preparing dehydrated soups, stews, and casseroles is obtained from the ISS's 2,006-liter fresh water tank.
This meticulous planning makes sure that astronauts have access to nutritious meals during their missions in space.