China Achieves Milestone: Astronauts Host the First-Ever Barbecue in Space
Since Yuri Gagarin’s 1961 mission, space food has come a long way. Early astronauts ate unappetizing meals like beef paste or freeze-dried powders. Over time, food technology improved. For example, Apollo astronauts could rehydrate meals using hot water. Skylab later introduced freezers, and the Space Shuttle included a galley for heating food.
Innovative Technology Enables Real Cooking
Cooking in space poses safety challenges because fire behaves differently in microgravity. Flames form spheres instead of rising, and smoke moves unpredictably. To overcome this, China’s new oven uses high-temperature catalysis and multi-layer filtration. This prevents smoke and ensures safety during cooking.
The oven heats food to 190°C, allowing real chemical reactions rather than simple warming. “Astronauts can now bake cakes, roast peanuts, or grill meat,” said Liu Weibo from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center. This innovation significantly improves astronauts’ living conditions and morale.
A Step Toward Future Space Living
Each meal takes longer to prepare , the chicken wings required 28 minutes , but the results are worth it. The breakthrough demonstrates China’s growing expertise in space habitation. As humanity plans longer missions to the Moon and Mars, such technology will make life beyond Earth more sustainable and comfortable.
