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Four Month Mars Food Study Wraps Up

After four months in a mock space habitat in Hawaii, participants in a study to determine how best to feed astronauts (HI-SEAS) on a mission to Mars emerged yesterday. A few days ago, the mission commander was interviewed in Astrobiology Magazine, noting the most successful foods: "There's also been a lot of really good cooked dishes. Some of our crew members are accomplished cooks, and every week there are different surprises. Some success meals were Russian borscht, Moroccan tagine, enchilasagna, seafood chowder, and fabada asturiana. Wraps work really well: we combine tortillas, different vegetables, Velveeta cheese, and sausage or canned fish into ever-changing combinations. This is actually in line with the success of tortillas at the ISS. In general, the dehydrated and freeze-dried vegetables are a real success. They're used on a daily basis in almost every meal." The crew kept weblogs, and did other things than just sit around and eat: some studied robotics and they went on a few simulated EVAs.

16 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. Did they try this? by bluegutang · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. Re:Did they try this? by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny

      They're just called chocolate bars there.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    2. Re:Did they try this? by RivenAleem · · Score: 5, Funny

      I lived with a Frenchman for a while and I was making French toast for breakfast once and I asked him what they call it in France. He told me he'd never heard or seen this food before. I asked him why it was called French toast then, and with dead seriousness he replied, "Probably to make it sound better."

  2. Yup... by Type44Q · · Score: 4, Funny

    Velveeta cheese

    That should quickly solve the overpopulation issue inherent to the one-way nature of the trip but will complicate logistics by requiring far greater amounts of toilet paper...

  3. Quite a food lineup by P-niiice · · Score: 5, Funny

    Really, they're thinking about Velveeta? For Burritos? On Mars? In an Airtight bubble?

  4. Borscht? by ebno-10db · · Score: 3, Funny

    Some success meals were Russian borscht ...

    Even Russian robots don't eat borscht. They do better on electricity from solar cells. The engines may require a different diet.

    Hold it, you were thinking of sending ugly bags of mostly water? Why? What is this, the Rube Goldberg Mars Exploration contest?

    Never send a man to do a robot's job.

  5. Re:Fucking Great. How much did this cost? by Sockatume · · Score: 4, Funny

    You normally go camping for four months at a time, and do all your shopping before you leave, smartass?

    --
    No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
  6. Bear Grylls by invid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why are they wasting time with all these studies? Just send Bear Grylls, he'll find some way to survive.

    --
    The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
    1. Re:Bear Grylls by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Funny

      Why are they wasting time with all these studies? Just send Bear Grylls, he'll find some way to survive.

      Or make for really awesome ratings when he doesn't.

      Fox would be all over that.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    2. Re:Bear Grylls by DougOtto · · Score: 4, Funny

      When the going gets tough, the tough check into hotels.

      --
      Solving Unix problems since 1989...
  7. Dominos Pizza by PPH · · Score: 2, Funny

    20 minute delivery or its free.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  8. Re:Fabada in a spaceship... by RaceProUK · · Score: 3, Funny

    While it may taste great, fabada asturiana is very famous for its farting production capacity (as most meals that contain beans). Now imagine that in a spaceship... yep, recipe for disaster!

    Or a nifty way to top up the fuel tank :)

    --
    No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
  9. To Serve Man by invid · · Score: 4, Funny

    They should send up a copy of the book, "To Serve Man", just in case.

    --
    The Moore-Murphy Law: The number of things that will go wrong will double every 2 years.
  10. Do you know.. by jimmydigital · · Score: 4, Funny

    Jules: Do you know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese on Mars?
    Brett: No.
    Jules: It's still called a quarter pounder with cheese because Mars was colonized by America and you know we had to have that shit our way.
    Vincent: Also, a quarter pound burger is as big as your head but just don't ask where the meat comes from.

    --
    Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -HLM
  11. Actual Mars Menu by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Funny

    Day 1. Algae slurry.

    Day 2. Algae slurry.
     
    ...
    Day N. Algae slurry.
     
    ...
    Day N+1 Algae slurry.

  12. Re:First problem-- by Americano · · Score: 2, Funny

    heavy sugar cakes (also processed cheese).

    That's not got much spam in it.