Page 140 - Grasp English C1+ (Student Book)

10 Stargazing

It’s a hard life in space: you’re in cramped, zero-gravity conditions and
away from your family for months at a time. But the worst thing? No pizza.

Obviously, there are a number of important factors which restrict
the food available on board missions to space. Astronauts often lose
weight during missions and space agencies don’t want their astronauts
coming back all skin and bone, so they’re provided with enough food for
three balanced meals per day plus snacks. Most missions also carry an
additional three weeks of supplies, give or take, in case the crew runs into
any problems and re-entry is delayed.

Although the quality and delivery of the food going into space have
improved dramatically over the last fifty years, astronauts still don’t get
much opportunity to pick and choose their meals as everything is
generally stored in the order it’s going to be eaten and secured into the
galley. Food preparation can’t just happen willy-nilly either. Whereas at
home you can stroll into the kitchen, open the fridge and grab some
juice, in space, all liquids are taken on-board in powder form. Astronauts
then have to use a special water dispenser in the rehydration station to
mix up a drink, whilst ensuring no droplets float away.

Another issue for astronauts is that it’s incredibly difficult to smell their
food and that can have a huge impact on how much they can taste,
as thanks to the zero-gravity environment, food aromas don’t reach their
noses. But don’t fret if you’re a mustard or mayonnaise lover, you can still
slather your food in the sauce!

In the end, it’s all part and parcel of the astronaut’s life, and it’s quite
clear when you’re training: this is the way things are, take it or leave it. If I
were an astronaut, I think I’d trust the better judgement of the thousands
of highly-qualified scientists who have spent their lives improving
astronauts’ quality of life in space and brought back hundreds of them
safe and sound after various missions.

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