ISS Astronauts Threw A Galactic Pizza Party 254 Miles Above Earth
Image via Thomas Pesquet
Astronauts have been floating in the International Space Station (ISS) 254 miles above Earth since last November, and it’s an experience that we’ll probably never be able to truly envision without being there ourselves. It must be difficult, though, being far removed from everything they once knew. So, the next best thing is to bring comfort food, like ice cream.
For the full experience, there is one type of food perfectly designed to be delivered—and almost synonymous with the concept of food delivery: pizza.
On Thursday, a 8,200-pound shipment careened out into space carrying ingredients, among other supplies and equipment, to make pizza aboard the ISS in its own oven.
The other items in this package included a mounting bracket for the station’s solar wings, simulated moondust for 3D-printing experiments, and a slime mold by the name of ‘The Blob’. You know, just your regular Amazon package.
But all of that that seemed to dim in comparison to the delectable treat that was pizza. Other fresh produce like fruit and cheese reached the doors of the station along with the doughy goodness—a far cry from the baby-food-esque packets that have always been associated with spaceflight.
“Floating pizza night with friends, it almost feels like a Saturday on Earth,” writes French astronaut Thomas Pesquet in his Instagram caption.
This joyous experience was documented on video, showing the team assembling the floating pizzas while trying not to let the ingredients drift away. It’s certainly a different type of pizza party.
Food is a great means for international diplomacy, notes The Takeout. Space-bound deliveries aside, the astronauts have a “broad menu” of items they can request, such as noodles and Kung Pao chicken from the Japanese and Chinese space programs respectively.
Sharing food across cultures is a great bonding experience for the astronauts, too, and undoubtedly keeps things fresh. The population of the station currently stands at three Americans, two Russians, one French and one Japanese, according to the Associated Press.
[via The Takeout, image via Thomas Pesquet]
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