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India Struggles to Create Astronaut 'Space Curry'

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 26, 2009 5:31 PM CDT
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(Newser) – One of the biggest challenges of India’s burgeoning space program is culinary, the London Times reports. Researchers at the country’s defense science lab are struggling to adapt the complex, spicy national cuisine into something that will work in space. “Curry tends to be spicy, high in fat content and uses many ingredients,” the lab’s director said. “We cannot afford the stomach of an astronaut to be strained.”

But neither can they afford to leave their astronauts without a taste of home. “When an astronaut is happy on all fronts, we would like to think his performance is enhanced,” the scientist said. The problem is not new: Millions were spent on developing “space kimchi” for the first South Korean astronaut, and NASA admits early space food was “a testament” to the “fortitude” of the first spacemen. India has time—it plans to send an astronaut upward by 2015.

Astronauts and cosmonauts share a meal in the Zvezda service module.
Astronauts and cosmonauts share a meal in the Zvezda service module.   (AP Photo)
A Russian cosmonaut preparing food in the galley of the international space station.
A Russian cosmonaut preparing food in the galley of the international space station.   (AP Photo)
The launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
The launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.   (AP Photo)
A curry dish.
A curry dish.   (Flickr)
Vada, an Indian snack.
Vada, an Indian snack.   (Flickr)
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Developing a dosa for space? It’s never been done before. Fried bhajis? Very challenging—we can use only minimal oil. But if the mission demands it, we are ready to look into it.
- AS Bawa, director, Defense Food Research Laboratory

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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
drlarrymitchell
Mar 28, 2009 1:34 AM CDT
In space, no one can hear you splatter.

 
NASA • India • astronauts • International Space Station • space travel • kimchi • space program • Indian food • curry

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