Life on Mars unbearable without chocolate spread
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Six researchers have spent the past four months living in a small dome on a barren Hawaii lava field, trying to figure out what food astronauts might eat on Mars and during deep-space missions.
They emerged on Tuesday with their recipes and without the space suits they were required to wear each time they ventured onto the northern slope of Mauna Loa — an active volcano that last erupted in 1984.
“It’s a moment I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” said Oleg Abramov, a research space scientist at the US Geological Survey Astrogeology branch in Flagstaff, Arizona. “Walking out ... experiencing the sunshine and wind on our faces.”
The six researchers were selected by the University of Hawaii and Cornell University for the NASA-funded study to prepare meals from a list of dehydrated, preserved foods that are not perishable. They examined pre-prepared meals similar to those astronauts currently eat, and concocted meals themselves in an attempt to combat malnourishment and food boredom.
Members did their cooking in a two-story dome with small sleeping quarters, an exercise room and, of course, a kitchen.
Team commander Angelo Vermeulen said the problem with the ingredients was they were usually highly processed and lacked fiber.
But what is also important for future space missions is comfort food, he said. A favorite among the crew: Nutella, the chocolate-hazelnut spread. “We had a limited supply so we had to ration it.”
The study, dubbed Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, included recipes that involved a lot of Spam. The canned meat, popular in Hawaii households, was a common ingredient because of its shelf-life, said Kim Binsted, a UH-Manoa associate professor involved in the study.
She said Mauna Loa was the perfect setting. The area is isolated, and has no visible plant or animal life.
“It looks like Mars,” she said.
One of the first things the team did when they left the dome was to have a buffet breakfast.
“They went straight to the fruits and vegetables,” Binsted said.
She is hoping to present the study’s findings at the International Astronautical Congress later this year in Beijing.
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