Zero gravity yams: ISS astronauts celebrate their ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will join Americans down on Earth in partaking in the annual feast known as Thanksgiving dinner, a time to give thanks for bounty and abundance.

by John Tyburski

Copyright © Daily Digest News, KPR Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

First published at Daily Digest News on November 26, 2014

What does roast turkey taste like in space? NASA food scientists are letting astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) find out from a feast Thanksgiving Day of their zero-gravity versions of all the Thanksgiving table classics.

The American astronauts currently residing in the orbiting ISS laboratory 250 miles above sea level include commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and flight engineer Terry Virts. They are joined by the Italian-born flight engineer Samantha Cristoforetti, who made the news recently for her contribution to the ISS of an espresso machine. Also in residence are the Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, Elena Serova, and Alexander Samokutyaev.

On the in-flight menu for Thanksgiving dinner is smoked turkey, candied yams, green beans with mushrooms, cornbread stuffing, and cherry-blueberry cobbler for dessert. Some crew members have also brought along their own personal favorites.

“I’m from Tennessee, so I grew up drinking sweet tea — so I’ve got a little sweet tea as well,” Wilmore said in his Thanksgiving video. “So, we’re going to have all of that up here and try to share in the spirit of the season.”

While the Russian crew members do not have the day off, they will be invited to dine with the others and share in the feast. The ISS typically houses an international crew who normally dine together and share in celebrations.

There are no microwave or conventional ovens aboard the ISS, so freeze-dried food is heated with warm water. The necessity to reconstitute food in this manner means that not all traditional fare can be enjoyed in space as it would be here on Earth. However, scientists are working on ways to one day grow sweet potatoes in space with artificial sunlight, especially in preparation for long trips to Mars and other distant points.