The Space Food Systems Laboratory
is a multipurpose laboratory responsible for space
food and package research and development. This facility
designs, develops, evaluates and produces flight food,
menus, packaging, and food-related ancillary hardware
for Shuttle, Space Station, and Advanced Food Systems.
Capabilities of this facility include: food product
development, food preservation technology, sensory
evaluation, menu planning, freeze dehydration, blast
freezing, package development, fabrication and design
of packaging equipment, physical testing of packages
and materials, and modified and controlled atmosphere
packaging.
Space Mission / Purpose:
Evidence strongly supports the role of nutrition in
maintaining the health and optimal performance of
astronauts during space flights and return to Earth.
The key to providing good nutrition in support of
human space flight is to provide high-quality food
products that are appetizing, nutritious, and safe
and easy to prepare and eat. The mission of the Food
Systems Engineering Facility is to provide high-quality
flight food systems that are convenient, compatible
with each crew member's physiological and psychological
requirements, meet spacecraft stowage and galley interface
requirements, and are easy to prepare and eat in the
weightlessness of space.
Technical Specifications
of Facility:
The Space Food Systems Laboratory is located in Building
17 at Johnson Space Center and is comprised of four
laboratories: a Test Kitchen, fully equipped with
sensory testing capabilities; a Food Processing Laboratory
(Pilot Plant); a Food Packaging Laboratory; and an
Analytical Laboratory. The Space Food Systems Laboratory
has the capability to fabricate custom-molded flight
food containers; process foods using a variety of
stabilization techniques, including freezing and freeze-drying;
package foods in a nitrogen environment for long-term
storage; provide long-term controlled environment
storage for processed foods; conduct physical and
sensory analyses of food; evaluate prototype and flight
food preparation hardware; and, develop food preparation
and serving techniques for space flight.
