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Four Month Mars Food Study Wraps Up

Posted by Unknown on from the huy-fong-plans-martian-factory dept.

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.

15 of 142 comments (clear)

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

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_(chocolate_bar)

    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."

    3. Re:Did they try this? by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 4, Informative

      Actually, in France they call it [i]pain perdu[/i] "lost bread", possibly because it's a good use for bread that's gone stale.

    4. Re:Did they try this? by dunnomattic · · Score: 5, Informative

      I grew up in New Orleans where "French Bread" is a staple. I recall many years ago asking my mother why they call the meal French toast. She relayed what her grandmother told her years before -- that the French dish "lost bread" uses dipped, stale bread to salvage what would otherwise be wasted food. A fresh loaf of common bread will fall apart when you pull it out of the milk and eggs. However, New Orleans "French Bread" as a firm crust yet porous, sponge-like interior to both soak up the mix while hold together.

      --
      ...when everything is a crime, everyone is a criminal.
  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. 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?
  5. 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 DougOtto · · Score: 4, Funny

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

      --
      Solving Unix problems since 1989...
  6. Re:Fabada in a spaceship... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are pretty substantial variations in intestinal normal flora between individuals (non-human cells in your body outnumber the human ones about 10-1, and many of them live in the gut), so that would be my guess. I'm not nearly enough microbiologist to suggest which organisms or strains are involved; but gut bacteria are a significant variable (since they vary based on where you were first innoculated with them, internal competition between organisms, antibiotics you've taken, etc.) that changes markedly faster than any human genetic or epigenetic component does.

  7. 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.
  8. Re:Fabada in a spaceship... by GrumpySteen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Gut flora.

    Basically the gas from beans is produced by bacteria breaking down oligosaccharides that your digestive system can't break down as easily. You may have different bacteria or a smaller amount of the same bacteria than someone who is more gassy.

  9. 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
  10. 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.