Brings a whole new meaning to pea soup…
Two astronauts who have been stranded in space for almost six months have been living off food made with their own sweat and urine.
Butch Wilmore, 61, and Sunita Williams, 58, left Earth on the 5 June with the International Space Station (ISS) as their destination aboard the Boeing-made Starliner spacecraft.
The astronauts’ mission was only meant to last eight days as they continued tests on Boeing’s first reusable space capsule as it underwent its maiden flight with pilots onboard.
Starliner was only intended to reach the ISS and dock for a few days before returning back to Earth, however technical issues with the spacecraft have meant that the crew have now been stranded in space for almost six months.
The unfortunate situation arose after the space capsule sprang helium leaks and suffered thruster malfunctions, making a manned return trip too dangerous.
Wilmore and Williams are set to remain on the ISS until February 2025 when a SpaceX Dragon craft will be able to bring them back to Earth.
Their unplanned extended stay on the station has put a strain on food supplies though. Whilst they started off by enjoying fresh fruit and veg, pizza and roast chicken, the menu isn’t quite so appealing now.
The Daily Star reports that the astronauts’ diet now largely consists breakfast cereal with powdered milk, dehydrated casseroles and freeze-dried soup.
To rehydrate the food and make things like soup, water is needed. To ensure minimal waster, the ISS has a system that recycles the astronauts’ urine and sweat into fresh urine.
So, to put it another way, their sweat and urine is being used to make food.
Throughout their time in space, Wilmore and Williams’ diets have been carefully monitored by NASA to make sure their consuming enough calories each day and staying healthy.
Despite this, the nature of zero-gravity means the pair have lost some weight, with Williams explaining she has been following a rigorous exercise regime to maintain her muscle mass and weight.
The ISS has 3.8lbs of food per astronaut per day, with reserves available to cope with unexpected longer stays.
A US space agency specialist said: “There’s fresh fruit at first. But as the months continue that goes away.
“Their fruits and vegetables are packaged or freeze-dried. 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.”
