Representative images.
Credit: iStock Images
Chennai: Packaged mango nectar, and ready-to-eat moong dal halwa, and carrot halwa.
These are the Indian foods that Shubhanshu Shukla is carrying to be consumed during his 14-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS).
Shukla will also share the food with his fellow travellers Peggy Whitson, the Axiom-04 Mission’s Commander, and mission specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary, and Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, who will get a taste a bit of Indian delicacies.
The foods were carefully chosen by the Defence Institute of Bio-defence Technologies (DIBT), Mysuru in consultation with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the Gaganyaan mission, the country’s first human spaceflight scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
“Since we had already chosen these foods for Gaganyaan mission, Shukla has carried them to space,” R Kumar, Director, DIBT, told a television channel. The institute not just focuses on developing detection technologies for foodborne pathogens and toxins relevant to biodefense, but is also involved in research and development in military nutrition.
The food is specially designed to be consumed in space, by following conditions imposed by US’ NASA, without any preservatives, commercially sterilised, and can be stored under room temperature conditions for 12 months.
The processed food comes with a multi-layer package and can be consumed directly without having to dump them on a plate. All the food have been packed in 100 gm pouches so that it is easy to carry as well as for consumption.
The crew is also carrying a small white toy swan named Joy and was chosen for it symbolises wisdom and is the vehicle of Saraswati, the goddess of learning. It represents purity and resilience in Poland, and for loyalty and grace in Hungary.
Foods such as nuts, granola bars and cookies are classified as natural form foods. They are ready to eat, packaged in clear, flexible pouches that are cut open with scissors, and require no further preparation for consumption in flight, according to NASA.