Slashdot Mirror
Astronaut Has 'Wasabi Spill' in Space
Sda~ writes "You learn something new everyday: There is nothing in the astronaut training manual about how to clean up flying wasabi. An inadvertent Wasabi spill this week aboard the ISS has made space agencies re-evaluate including the spicy paste in future meals. The astronauts are allowed some of their favorite foods on each trip, to alleviate homesickness. 'Williams, whose father was born in India, has several Indian dishes in her bonus container, including Punjabi kadhi with pakora - vegetable fritters topped with yogurt and curry - and mutter paneer, a curry dish. The dishes are packaged to have a long shelf life in space. Her U.S. crew mate, astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, is an even bigger foodie. Lopez-Alegria, who was born in Madrid but grew up in California, had Spanish muffins known as magdalenas, chorizo pork sausage and latte in his bonus container.'"
At least the wasabi sauce didn't find its way to Uranus.
This space unintentionally left blank.
...the astronauts drank Tang and liked it, dagnabbit!
Well, that settles it. If I can get chorizo in space, sign me up. It's hard enough to find here on Earth in most places.
Mmmmmmm...
Elrond, Duke of URL
"This is the most fun I've had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"-Sam&Max
Wasabi isn't a food -- it's a weapon. I'm convinced that if you brought two large chunks of it together fast enough, it would go supercritical...
Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
I wonder if this was a decent simulation of a more dangerous spill? What would they do if there was a leaking battery or something worse?
We are all just people.
Tee hee! It's funny stories like this that really justify the $2billion/year price tag associated with the ISS! Remember that golf shot last year? And don't forget that cosmonaut who got married up there too.
Lovely stuff..
They already have fans and filters, but it won't help if the wasabi is already sticking to something like a wall, some equipment, or a person. Cleaning up is an issue because water and cleaning materials are in short supply.
It would be interesting to calculate the internal surface are of the ISS down to a reasonable scale. It must be several square kilometers, at least.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Yeah, we know Americans are somewhat large on average - but do we really have to draw attention to his weight problem? It can't be that bad if he's an astronaut. Maybe he just has big bones?
... and then they built the supercollider.
One has to wonder. Surely this same kind of spill could happen with any semi-liquid item, eg. ketchup or mustard, with equal consequences for the equipment and people. There's plenty of chemicals that can spill and present as much of a vapor/inhalation hazard as wasabi if not more. And it's not like NASA doesn't know things like this can happen, we've got 40+ years of experience with zero-gee and more than that of sci-fi stories featuring comedy based around stuff in zero-gee floating where it's not supposed to be. Shouldn't this have been a total non-event, something long planned and prepared for?
Well, a nice maki holds together well.
The problem is condiments.
For your Shoyu, I suggest a sponge. Natural of course. For all I know there's probably a species of sponge that is sushi. Place the sponge in a cylindrical container slightly larger than your roll, with a snap top. When you are ready to eat, you open the snap top and push your roll down into the container.
Now -- for the wasabi. Condiments are tricky. One should start by asking -- why are condiments served on the side? Apart from differences in persional taste, the main reason is to keep liquids from migrating from the food to the condiment or vice versa, which would degrade the texture of the food, as well as cause a loss of identity between the two. This is why "peanut butter crackers" don't have normal peanut butter. Instead they have a rather dessicated, de-oiled peanut paste. If they put regular peanut butter in them, then the peanut butter would end up that way, but the cracker would turn to mush.
So, I'm thinking a thin, tasteless cellulose polymer, formulated to have moisture barrier properties, sprayed on the surface of your sushi. We then apply the wasabi -- the less assembly done in space, the fewer chances for screwups, whether we're talking equipment or food. Since you only need a small amount of wasabi, it might be feasible to introduce gelatin or some other binding agent to give the wasabi greater adhering power. You don't want spray anything on the wasabi, since you are supposed to taste it on contact. Most other sushi ingredience release their full flavor after being bitten or masticated.
Thin films -- after to an inanimate carbon rod, the next unsung hero of the space program.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
The bigger question is what do his fellow astronauts think about the chorizo a few hours after he's eaten it? It's not like you can open a window, or blame the dog.
John
I have advised the folks who work on analyzing the air in the ISS. I talked to an astronaut about things that concerned them getting into the air. She said Tabasco sauce was one concern. With zero gravity a drop could float around and accidently be inhaled or get into your eye. Eventually the air filtration system will capture it. One of the effects of zero g on the human body is the redistribution of fluids which causes a loss of taste. This is why the astronauts like to add spicyness to their foods.
FYI Most space wasabi is actually horseradish.
The description in the summary did have me wondering. Wasabi is not really a "paste", and the real Japanese condiment does not exhibit the properties of a liquid. It's more like the consistency of slightly damp clay powder. It would almost seem like the perfect condiment to take into space because it's not liquid enough to spill, nor is it solid or powdery enough for the granules to get into anything (like, say, salt would).
But if it's really just colored horseradish, that would explain things. Horseradish doesn't need to be a liquid either but it typically is when packaged as a condiment.
I guess my point is, it sounds like the solution to this problem is for NASA to upgrade the quality of their wasabi!
Chorizo is "chorizo" in Spain, and sausage is "salchicha" when referencing the common German types (like the hotdogs ones, but also served alone). I have seen chorizo served in slices (some really thin, around 1 mm) but never with sausages, and it is cured and rather red with white parts.
;]
In other Spanish talking countries, I do not know if that applies too, but beware as I know some words change from one to another in rather nasty ways, like with Mexico's "tortilla" (as in "unleavened cake") vs Spain's "tortilla" (omelette). You better always ask the restaurant staff or point at the pictures in the menu.
On a side note, I saw exported chorizo and it was labelled by producers as "paprika pork sausage" (and also in German, but I forgot), I guess they took care to describe it the best way possible to make sure foreign buyers knew what they were getting.
I'm quite a fan of Indian cuisine, but in light of the limitations of their air filtering system, don't you think it's a bit cruel to allow an astronaut to bring curry aboard the ISS?
Depends on which kind of chorizo you're talking about. Mexican chorizo (the kind I've seen anyway) has a consistency like uncooked breakfast sausage (and indeed when you buy it in the store it must be cooked before consumption).
Spanish chorizo (my favorite by far) is a different animal all together (well still pig). It's ready to eat, has a consistency like salami and is generally sliced a few mm thick when served on a sandwich.
Now you should see the difference between what Mexicans call tortillas and what tortillas are in Spain! (Spanish tortillas are more like a quiche or omelet made from a dozen to 18 eggs, containing green peppers and potatoes, they're about 6cm thick and quite delicious).
Ok, now I'm hungry for a Spanish chorizo and Manchego cheese sandwich dammit!
Georgia Tech, the leader in Chia(tm) technology.
...at least it won't drive 1000 miles wearing a diaper and try and kidnap another astronaut.
Think about sex in space. Zero gravity sex could be an amazing thing, I imagine, but the cleanup...
I mean, you could conceivably keep it clean -- swallow it all, I'm sure you can fill in the blanks. Or, someone could get stupid and try to bukakke...
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!