What was the first meal humans had in space?

Astronaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to eat in space in 1961, with pureed food served in tubes.

Yuri Gagarin was the first person to eat and drink in space. Photo: IFL Science

The first meal in space took place during humanity's first flight into orbit in 1961. At that time, astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to fly into space, completing a single orbit around the Earth in 108 minutes.

Gagarin's Vostok 1 spacecraft was packed with supplies for 13 days, in case the booster rocket (the rocket that helps reduce the spacecraft's speed) failed and they had to wait for the spacecraft to descend into its natural orbit to return to Earth. This also provided a good opportunity to experiment with eating in space.

Despite experiments conducted in the "Vomit Comet" spacecraft on Earth, scientists are still unsure whether basic functions like chewing and swallowing can be performed in a microgravity environment. An important consideration is the "no crumbling" factor, so the solution is to use foods that can be made into a paste and placed in a metal tube similar to a toothpaste tube.

Even though he was in orbit for less than two hours, Gagarin still managed to enjoy a few meals. The main course was minced beef and liver. Gagarin ate two tubes of this, then had another tube of chocolate sauce for dessert.

At the time, scientists were unaware of the effects of microgravity on humans. They didn't want to take risks, so spacecraft were controlled from the ground using codes to switch to manual control only in emergencies, including digestive problems. But with his first meal in orbit, Gagarin proved that eating in space was entirely feasible.

More and more astronauts are flying into space and staying longer, helping scientists understand more about the effects of microgravity on humans. They've noticed that human taste can change. Body fluids move towards the head, and many studies have shown that this can lead to a decrease in olfactory senses, similar to eating when you have a cold.

After Gagarin's time, the diet of astronauts in orbit underwent many improvements. They were not only delivered pizza to the International Space Station (ISS) but could also bake their own cookies. They could also drink coffee thanks to a special cup designed for use in a microgravity environment.

Scientists have even experimented with frying food in a microgravity environment. The experiments were carefully conducted using a special fryer on an aircraft simulating weightlessness. Through this, they demonstrated that deep-frying in a microgravity environment is feasible with the right equipment. However, the "zero-debris" rule remains a significant challenge.

Thu Thao (According to IFL Science )

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