Feeling at home in space!
Have you ever seen preparing and eating a meal in space? Not even us before these videos by Samantha Cristoforetti!
The video was shared on YouTube in 2015 by the European Space Agency (ESA) during Samantha's mission which led her to live and work in the International Space Station.
According to the ESA, food holds a paramount importance for astronauts. It serves not only as a means of proper nutrition, but also as a critical factor in maintaining their psychological well-being. Eating your favorite dishes, savoring flavors that remind you of home, makes an astronaut feel more comfortable and safe.
In the video, Samantha shares with us her process of meal preparation and offers a fascinating glimpse into the incredible challenge astronauts face when cooking in the absence of gravity. The video showcases Samantha in Node 1, the designated area on the International Space Station where food is prepared.
The first thing he reveals is that in zero gravity having a plate to eat on would be useless, so instead of a plate she uses a tortilla. Why not bread? Crumbs are inevitable when it comes to bread!
While the tortilla floats, Samantha prepares to open the packages containing the ingredients with which she will fill the tortilla. The pea cream plays a crucial role by acting as a binding agent to bring all the other ingredients together, owing to its perfect consistency. Can you imagine the grains of rice floating? Better to avoid the risk!
Then all the other ingredients are added and the tortilla with cream of peas, chicken, brown rice, mushrooms and turmeric is ready!
Isn't it strange to see food fluttering? To us a lot! Think of the feeling Samantha felt… especially because she realized her career dream!
Before leaving you with the video, we also tell you this little curiosity: do you know Samantha Cristoforetti's nickname? “AstroSamantha“, the union of the word “Astro” and the name “Samantha“. “Astro” in Italian is the term used to indicate natural celestial bodies such as stars, planets, asteroids, etc.
