The two astronauts that have been stranded in space for over six months are surviving on food that isn’t what you’d call fresh.
NASA astronauts Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams, 59, and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore, 61, originally embarked on an eight-day mission on June 5 this year.
But after landing on the International Space Station (ISS), technical faults with their spacecraft prevented them from returning, and the pair have been in orbit ever since.
Luckily, a SpaceX Dragon capsule is set to be sent up early next year to bring them home, though this is still in a number of months.
Those of us down on Earth have been reacting to the many updates provided by NASA on the pair’s situation. People began to worry about Suni in particular, as some believed she was rapidly losing weight.
But in a video released on 12 November, she revealed: “I’m actually right at the same amount.”
Adding that there’s such a thing as a ‘fluid shift’, making ‘heads look a little bigger’, she explained: “But Butch and I have been up here for a number of months, we’ve been on the workout gear. We’ve got a bike, we got a treadmill and we got weightlifting equipment.
“And I could definitely tell that weightlifting – which is not something I do all the time – has definitely changed me. My thighs are a little bigger, my but is a little bigger, we do a lot of squats,” she said.
“All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations, have dedicated flight surgeons monitoring them, and are in good health.”
The astronauts won’t be having the fanciest of meals up there (NASA)
Scheduled to be rescued in February, the astronaut’s food supplies may well be a concern. They started by munching on things such as fresh fruit, vegetables, roast chicken, pizza, and shrimp cocktails, but now the pair are eating breakfast cereal with powdered milk. Other alternatives include dehydrated casseroles and freeze-dried soup.
As for water, there’s thankfully a supply of it – but where does it come from?
Well, the ISS has a 530 gallon emergency tank, which apparently recycles the astronauts’ urine and sweat into fresh water, ensuring minimal waste. Yummy.
Though both look like they have lost weight, it is thought that the changes in appearance has been caused by the impact of microgravity during a long space stay.
NASA officials monitor the food supplies onboard and the health of astronauts constantly, as a US space agency specialist revealed to the Daily Star: “There’s fresh fruit at first.
“But as the months continue that goes away.
“Their fruits and vegetables are packaged or freeze-dried.”
The pair of astronauts have been stuck in space since June. (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)
It is said that the International Space Station has 3.8lbs of food per astronaut per day, with reserves to cover any unexpected longer stays. This keeps astronauts healthy and with enough nutrition to survive longer missions.
“Nothing is left to chance and that includes their food,” the specialist explained.
“To be accurate it should be very clear that any any weight loss is not due to a lack of provisions on the ISS.
“There is plenty of food even for an extended mission,” they clarified.
