DOCUMENT RESUME ED 448 036 SE 064 328 AUTHOR Casaburri, Angelo A.; Gardner, Cathy A. TITLE Space Food and Nutrition: An Educator's Guide with Activities in Science and Mathematics. INSTITUTION National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC. REPORT NO NASA-NNEG-1999-02-115-HQ PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 60p.; Edited by Jane A. George. Guide produced for grades K-8. AVAILABLE FROM For full text: http://spacelink.nasa.gov/products. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Elementary Secondary Education; *Experiential Learning; *Food; Science Activities; *Space Sciences ABSTRACT From John Glenn's mission to orbit Earth to the International Space Station program, space food research has met the challenge of providing food that tastes good and travels well in space. Early food dehydration was achieved by cutting meat, fish, and certain fruits into thin strips and drying them in sunlight. Rubbing food with salt or,soaking it in salt water, an early form of curing food, also helped preserve it. Later techniques were developed for cooking, processing, preserving, and storing food in sealed containers. With the developments of pasteurization and canning, a much larger variety of foods could be stored and carried on long journeys. More recently, refrigeration and quick-freezing have been used to help preserve food flavor and nutrients and prevent spoilage. While these forms of packaged food products are fine for travel on Earth, they are not always suitable for use on space flights. There are limitations to weight and volume when traveling, and the microgravity conditions experienced in space also affect the food packaging. This guide provides in-depth information about preserving and packaging food for space. Also included are three activities for grades K-4 and five activities for grades 5-8.(ASK) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. A Educators Grades K-8 A SOB I A U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement DUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy nuanne.41...sture Rellytlratable BESTCOPYAVAILABLE Space and Food NutritionAn Educator's Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics is available in electronic format through NASA Space linkone of the Agency's electronic resources specifically developed for use by the educational community. The system may be accessed at the following address: http://spacelink.nasa.gov/products SPACE FOOD AND NUTRITION An Educator's Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics National Aeronautics and Space Administration This publication is in the Public Domain and is not protected by copyright. Permission is not required for duplication. EG-1999-02-115-HQ Space Food and Nutrition An Educator's Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics Acknowledgments National Aeronautics and Space Administration Special thanks to the following Office of Human Resources and Education contributors and reviewers Education Division Washington, D.C. Charles T. Bourland, Ph.D. System Manager, Space Station Food Education Working Group Flight Crew Support Division NASA Johnson Space Center NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas Debbie A. Brown Writers ISS Education Liaison Angelo A. Casaburri Education Working Group Aerospace Education Services Program NASA Johnson Space Center NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas Gregory L. Vogt, Ed.D. Crew Educational Affairs Liaison Cathy A. Gardner Education Working Group Dickinson Independent School District NASA Johnson Space Center Dickinson, Texas Karol L. Yeatts, Ed.D. Editor 1998 Einstein Fellow Jane A. George Miami Dade County Public Schools Teaching From Space Program Miami, Florida NASA Headquarters Washington, D.C. 5 Space Food and Nutrition An Educator's Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics, EG-1999-02-115-HQ Table of Contents National Science Education Standards v National Mathematic Standards vi Introduction 1 Mercury 2 Gemini 3 Apollo 4 Skylab 5 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project 6 Space Shuttle 7 International Space Station 8 Food Systems Engineering Facility 9 Types of Space Food 10 Microgravity 11 Classroom Activities 14 Activities for Grades K-4 1.Food Preparation for Space 15 2.Food Selection 17 3.Planning and Serving Food 20 Activities for Grades 5-8 4.Classifying Space Food 21 5.Ripening of Fruits and Vegetables 23 6. Mold Growth 25 7. How Much Is Waste? 30 8.Dehydrating Food for Space Flight 33 Appendices Appendix A: Baseline Space Shuttle Food and Beverage List 34 Appendix B: International Space Station Daily Menu Food List 37 Appendix C: Gemini Standard Menu (4-day cycle) 41 Appendix D: Space Shuttle Standard Menu (4 days of a 7-day menu) 42 Appendix E: International Space Station Standard Menu (4-days of a 30-day menu) 43 Appendix F: Space Tortilla Formulation (Recipe) 44 Appendix G: USDA Food Guide Pyramid 45 References 46 NASA On-Line Resources for Educators 47 Educator Reply Card 49 6 Space Food and Nutrition An Educator's Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics, EG-1999-02-115-HQIII National Education Standards National Science Education Standards TOT National Research Council, 1996 Ru Grades K-8 Food Food Planning and Classifying Ripening of Mold Growth How Muth Dehydrating Preparation Selection Serving Space Food Fruits and Is Waste? Food for for Space Food Vegetables Space Right Science as Inquiry Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Life Science Matter, energy, and organization in living systems Science in Personal and Social Perspectives Personal Health Physical Science Properties of objects and materials Position and motion of objects 7 Space Food and Nutrition An Educators Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics, EG-1999-02-115-HO V National Mathematic Standards National Mathematic Standards National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1988 Grades K-8 Food Food Planning and Classifying Ripening of Mold Growth How Much Dehydrating Preparation Selection Serving Space Food Fruits and Is Waste? Food for Space Right for Space Food Vegetables Computation 4 4 4 4 4 Measurement 4 4 4 4 4 Reasoning 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Observing 4 -V 4 4 4 4 4 4 Communicating 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Al VISpace Food and Nutrition An Educator's Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics, EG-1999-02-115-HQ Introduction From John Glenn's mission to orbit Earth to the form of curing food, also helped preserveit.Later International Space Station program, space food techniques were developed for cooking, processing, pre- research has met the challenge of providing food serving, and storing food in sealed containers. With the that tastes good and travels well in space. To better under- developments of pasteurization and canning, a much larg- stand this process, we can look back through history. er variety of foods could be stored and carried on long Explorers have always had to face the problem of how to journeys. More recently, refrigeration and quick-freezing carry enough food for their journeys. Whether those have been used to help preserve food flavor and nutrients explorers are onboard a sailing ship or on the Space and prevent spoilage. Shuttle, adequate storage space has been a problem. Food needs to remain edible throughout the voyage, and it also While these forms of packaged food products are fine for needs to provide all the nutrients required to avoid travel on Earth, they are not always suitable for use on vitamin-deficiency diseases such as scurvy. space flights. There are limitations to weight and volume when traveling and the microgravity conditions experi- Early in history, humans discovered that food would enced in space also affect the food packaging. Currently, remain edible longer if it were dried and stored in a cool there is limited storage space and no refrigeration. To dry place until it was time to be consumed. Early food meet these challenges, special procedures for the prepa- dehydration was achieved by cutting meat, fish, and cer- ration, packaging, and storing of food for space flight tain fruits into thin strips and drying them in sunlight. were developed. Rubbing food with salt or soaking it in salt water, an early 9 Space Food and Nutrition An Educator's Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics, EG-1999-02-115-HQ 1 Mercury In the early days of the space program, known as tizing, and there were problems when they tried to rehy- Project Mercury, space flights lasted from a few drate the freeze-dried foods. minutes to a full day. Because of the short duration, complete meals were not needed. The major meal was The tube foods offered many challenges to food develop- consumed prior to the flight. However, the Mercury astro- ment. First, a method of removing the food from the tube nauts did contribute to the development of space food. was needed. A small straw was placed into the opening. They tested the physiology of chewing, drinking, and This allowed the astronauts to squeeze the contents from swallowing solid and liquid foods in a microgravity envi- the tube directly into their mouths. This is similar to ronment. These first astronauts found themselves eating drinking your favorite soda from a straw, except that the bite-sized cubes, freeze-dried foods, and semi-liquids in food was a thicker substance. Special materials were aluminum toothpaste-type tubes. The food was unappe- developed to coat the inner surface of the aluminum tubes to prevent the formation of hydrogen gas as a result of contact between metal and the acids contained in some foods, such as applesauce.