Featured Image Credit: Bettmann / Contributor / Getty / NASA
Being that many of us will probably never get the chance to go to space in our lifetime, we're very curious how astronauts handle basic functions like eating and nature's call.
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin made history by becoming the first human in space, completing a single orbit of Earth in 108 minutes.
Gagarin’s Vostok 1 space capsule was filled with 13 days’ worth of provisions just in case he needed to wait for natural orbital decay to return to Earth.
At the time, scientists were unsure as to whether it was possible to swallow in a microgravity environment.
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So, this was also a convenient time to test eating in space.
The main rule to follow was 'no crumbs' so scientists designed the food to be consumed in a paste form, packaged in metal tubes similar to toothpaste tubes.
Two hours into his orbit, Gagarin ate two courses of the tubes.
His main course was beef and liver purée which Gagarin had two tubes of and for dessert, he had a tube of chocolate sauce.
Gagarin's team were also worried about the risk of the astronaut losing consciousness and so, the capsule had a manual control switch installed if there were any issues. This included if digestion went wrong.
However, Gagarin's successful eating attempt proved there was nothing to worry about in orbit.
The following year, John Glenn became the first American to eat in space.
His menu included a toothpaste-like tube filled with pureed beef and vegetables, a tube packed with applesauce, and some sugar tablets that he dissolved in water.
People are disgusted at the food selections in space but at the same time, appreciate the astronauts' service.
'Gross,' one plainly wrote.
'Ironically, it looked exactly the same coming out as going in, if you know what I mean,' another Reddit user commented.
A lot has changed since then.
Today, astronauts can enjoy a much broader range of food including pizza deliveries to the International Space Station (ISS), bake cookies and grow their own vegetables.
Or those who just want a taste of space could be lucky enough to enjoy the world’s most expensive Michelin meal during a six-hour high-tech space balloon trip.
