An international team of scientists led by Professor Volker Hessel from the University of Adelaide has developed a dish that is ideal for astronauts. It turned out to be a vegetarian salad. Researchers through linear programming selected its composition so that the astronaut’s body receives the necessary nutrients in optimal proportions. It was also necessary to minimise water consumption and the area required to grow its components on board the spacecraft.
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People in space have to use more energy than on Earth. In addition, weightlessness ‘takes away’ from the organism many microelements, the supply of which is critical. As a result, the ‘space’ salad included sweet potatoes and/or sunflower seeds, peanuts, barley and cabbage, soya beans and poppy seeds. Analyses have shown that it still lacks some micronutrients – but this is planned to be remedied with appropriate supplements.
