UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Evaluation of Space Food for Commercial Astronauts Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8mx313xt Author Ahlstrom, Britt Karin Publication Date 2016 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Evaluation of Space Food for Commercial Astronauts A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology by Britt Karin Ahlstrom 2016 © Copyright by Britt Karin Ahlstrom 2016 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Evaluation of Space Food for Commercial Astronauts by Britt Karin Ahlstrom Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology University of California, Los Angeles, 2016 Professor Ayako Janet Tomiyama, Chair As commercial aerospace companies advance toward manned spaceflight, they must overcome many hurdles – not only technical, but also human. One of the greatest human challenges they face is food. Throughout the history of human spaceflight, astronauts have primarily eaten food developed by government space agencies. Now, with manned commercial flights on the horizon, astronauts will be provided with an entirely new diet – one comprised of commercially available, ready-to-eat food. Yet will this diet keep astronauts nourished, satisfied with their diet, and both psychologically and physically healthy? The purpose of this parallel crossover design study was to evaluate (a) nutrient intake, (b) food satisfaction, (c) psychological health, and (d) physical health in commercial aerospace employees (N = 7) as they ate a diet of commercial, ready-to-eat food for four days, as compared to eating as normal for four days. Findings from this study showed that the ready-to-eat diet did not lead to any significant changes in caloric intake, psychological health, or physical health, aside from weight loss. It is not clear whether this weight loss was due to the loss of body fat, muscle, or water. When eating ii the ready-to-eat food, participants reported being slightly less satisfied with the variety, reported lower cravings for sweets, and reported the food was slightly less hedonically rewarding. In post- study interviews, participants reported they wanted to see more meats, fruits, vegetables, and desserts added to the ready-to-eat diet, so as to provide more meal-like structure. Overall, these findings show the diet could be used in commercial spaceflight after making simple changes. The diet could also be used by individuals in remote areas on Earth and to provide food assistance to individuals in disaster or emergency situations. Due to the increasing popularity of ready-to-eat food around the world, these findings also provide knowledge about the potential consequences of modern eating trends. iii The dissertation of Britt Karin Ahlstrom is approved. Martie G. Haselton Traci Mann Theodore F. Robles Ayako Janet Tomiyama, Committee Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2016 iv This manuscript is dedicated to my parents. We're made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself. – Carl Sagan v TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose, Aims, and Hypotheses ..................................................................................................... 3 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................... 7 Preliminary Study ......................................................................................................................... 19 Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 24 Measures ....................................................................................................................................... 35 Analyses ........................................................................................................................................ 41 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 49 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 88 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 110 Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 111 References ................................................................................................................................... 132 vi LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 - Nutrient Requirements and Content of Space Food ........................................................ 4 Table 2 – Experimental Diet Food Items ...................................................................................... 22 Table 3 – Study Procedure Weeks 1 and 2 ................................................................................... 29 Table 4 – Measures in the Study ................................................................................................... 35 Table 5 – Personality Results ........................................................................................................ 52 Table 6 – Descriptive Analyses of Caloric Intake Outcome......................................................... 53 Table 7 – Descriptive Analyses of Food Satisfaction Outcomes .................................................. 54 Table 8 – Descriptive Analyses of Psychological Health Outcomes ............................................ 57 Table 9 – Descriptive Analyses of Physical Health Outcomes..................................................... 60 Table 10 – Individual Food Ratings.............................................................................................. 81 Table 11 – Qualitative Descriptions of Most Well-Liked and Most Disliked Foods ................... 83 Table 12 – Participants’ Desired Changes to the Diet .................................................................. 84 Figure 1. Participants’ caloric intake ............................................................................................ 62 Figure 2. Participants' mean daily food ratings ............................................................................. 63 Figure 3. Participants’ satisfaction with variety ........................................................................... 65 Figure 4. Participants’ cravings for sweets ................................................................................... 67 Figure 5. Participants’ cravings for meat ...................................................................................... 71 Figure 6. Participants’ weight change from Monday to Friday .................................................... 79 vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of my managers and colleagues at SpaceX, my mentors at UCLA, and a large dose of serendipity. At SpaceX, I wish to express my utmost gratitude to Ted Cizma, whose support was instrumental in not only the success of this study, but also my very presence at SpaceX. I would also like to thank Bonnie Bristol, Chad Gorius, Nicholas Lampert, Rachel Ellman, Rachel Forman, Robbie Hurwitz, and the many others who helped me navigate the path toward this study’s completion. Special appreciation also goes to my study participants, whose experiences and suggestions could pave the way of commercial space food for years to come. At UCLA, I would like to thank the former and current Health Psychology Area Chairs, Drs. Chris Dunkel Schetter and Annette Stanton, who supported me in my unconventional path through the program. I am also sincerely grateful to my dissertation committee members: Dr. Robles, whose suggestions, as usual, greatly improved the study questionnaires; Dr. Haselton, whose mentorship was invaluable, not only on this study but on numerous others; and Dr. Mann, whose studies cultivated my interest in space food and who provided me with numerous opportunities that served as the springboard for my career. Finally, my deepest appreciation goes to my ever-encouraging and never-tiring Committee Chair, Dr. Tomiyama. Words can scarcely express how lucky I am to have you as my mentor. Disclaimer: This research was funded by SpaceX. I, the author, am a stockholding employee at SpaceX, the company whose employees participated in the study described in this manuscript. However, I did not receive and will not receive any financial rewards or penalties based on the study results. In agreement with SpaceX’s Legal team, descriptions of individual food items have been generalized to protect Confidential Information. viii VITA Professional Experience Crew Provisions Specialist, SpaceX, 2015 – present Intern, SpaceX, 2015 Education Master of Arts, Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2015 Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 2010 Honors & Awards UCLA Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Awardee, 2015 UCLA Graduate Research Mentorship Fellowship Awardee, 2015 Transdisciplinary Seed Grant Graduate Student Researcher, 2014 Dolores Liebmann Fellowship Campus