What happens when humanity takes its most basic need - food -beyond Earth’s atmosphere? From John Glenn’s applesauce tubes to the first lettuce grown aboard the International Space Station, the story of fresh produce in space is one of science, innovation, and survival.
In this episode, John and Patrick are joined by Vickie Kloeris, former NASA Food Scientist and manager of the Space Food Systems Laboratory, to explore the fascinating evolution of eating in orbit. How did scientists first overcome the fear that astronauts might not even be able to swallow in zero gravity? Why did packaging become one of NASA’s biggest engineering challenges? And how did international cooperation - and culinary compromise - shape mealtimes aboard the ISS?
From the psychological power of comfort food to the groundbreaking Veggie experiment that saw astronauts harvest their own lettuce, this is the extraordinary story of how fresh produce became part of life among the stars. And as we look toward Mars, could farming on other worlds become the next great agricultural revolution?
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Order Vickie Kloeris' book: Space Bites: Reflections of a NASA Food Scientist
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