Wasabi Spill Spices Up Mealtime for ISS Astronaut

[Ian David]

By Mike Schneider
Associated Press Writer
posted: 3 March 2007
7:56 a.m. ET

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronauts are always are on guard against toxic spills that could contaminate the International Space Station.

But there is nothing in their training manuals about how to clean up flying wasabi.

The spicy greenish condiment was squirted out of a tube while astronaut Sunita Williams was trying to make a pretend sushi meal with bag-packaged salmon. The three space station crew members are given a certain number of bonus packs of their favorite foods to help endure their months in space where most meals are the equivalent of military MREs.



Since everything is weightless, spilled food is no ordinary clean-up challenge.

“We finally got the wasabi smell out after it was flying around everywhere,'' Williams told her mother this week in a conversation arranged by Boston radio station WBZ. “We cleaned it up off the walls a little bit.''



<snip>

“Psychologically, it's very important,'' space station dietitian Paula Hall said of the gourmet extras. “It's really important to have variety, to have surprises. It's important to have food that makes you happy, that makes you smile.''

Unfortunately for Williams, the wasabi tube has been banished to a cargo vehicle where it will stay packed away.

“I don't think we're going to use it anymore,'' she said. “It's too dangerous.''

More:
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/ap_070303_exp14_wasabi.html

[MADem]

1. Wasabi powder isn't quite as good, but it will do in a pinch

Maybe they can package that with something to be reconstituted with hot water...

[Canuckistanian]

2. Anything powdered is a no-no in space

In case of a spill, you'd be inhaling it as you sleep.

[MADem]

4. I sure wasn't clear there!! I meant to use it in preparing a prepackaged meal

And then, if you didn't want the flavor to be too strong, you could add more hot water to one of those space bags to dilute the strength.

Of course, they could probably do the same thing with the toothpaste style wasabi. You just wouldn't have the option of modulating your wasabi experience (a little more, a little less) with every bite!

[IDemo]

3. At least they didn't have to duct tape her down afterwards