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Artemis II astronauts share insights into their space diet, showcasing rehydrated meals and demonstrating how water behaves in a weightless environment, forming perfect spherical bubbles.

Dining in Space: The Rehydration Process

Christina Koch, an Artemis II mission specialist, detailed how astronauts consume food in space, primarily from plastic or metallic bags due to the need for rehydration. She presented a rehydrated shrimp cocktail, explaining that adding water allows the shrimp to soak it up, making it quite tasty. In contrast, she showed dried green beans that were light and shriveled before rehydration. Koch emphasized that vegetables are part of their diet, but humorously noted that they also get to enjoy mac and cheese.

Water in Zero Gravity: A Perfect Spherical Lens

Reid Wiseman, another Artemis II astronaut, demonstrated the unique behavior of water in space. Unlike on Earth, a drop of water on his finger forms a perfect sphere due to surface tension acting equally in all directions in zero gravity. This spherical water drop can act as a lens, capable of magnifying or inverting images. Wiseman recounted how he and his fellow astronauts amused themselves by observing each other's faces through the water lens, making them appear upside down or right side up, highlighting the fun of playing with water in space.

*Source: YouTube: Guardian News (2026-04-06)*

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