Our Bureau
New Delhi
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS), shared an insight on how challenging it is to have a meal in space. This Tuesday, on September 3rd, the astronaut showcased how they eat and drink in space where there is zero gravity and revealed that he had to learn how to eat again.
Sharing a video of the time he was in the space capsule, Shubhanshu revealed that it is a huge challenge to eat in space. He said, “Eating and drinking in space is a challenge, and we manage somehow.” He pointed to the table and said, “This is our dining table where we sit and eat.”
As there is zero gravity in space, everything floats all around so it requires astronauts to secure items with Velcro and tape. Showing the same, Shubhanshu revealed a ketchup bottle attached to the table.
“If you leave anything, it’s gone. So, you hold it, you put it with Velcro on something,” Mr. Shukla explained. He demonstrated how even a simple utensil like a spoon behaves differently in space as when he removed the Velcro attached to its end, it started floating around.
He then went on to show how astronauts handle liquids in space. “I am having my coffee right now. I’ll just show an example of how it happens,” he said as he took a sippy pouch and started pressing its mouth with his fingers trying to squeeze out the coffee. When the coffee released it started floating upwards, forming a solid bubble. Then he consumed the coffee showcasing how astronauts consume liquids in microgravity.
“Look at that, you can even eat water in space, it is fun, but you have to be really careful. Things go all around and you just have to be mindful about everything,” Shubhanshu revealed.
