Meal time in space is a challenge, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has said. On Tuesday, the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS) shared a glimpse into how astronauts eat and drink in zero gravity, saying he had to "learn to eat again." "Eating and drinking in space is a challenge, and we manage somehow," he said, sharing a video from his time aboard the space capsule.
Pointing to a small table in the background, he added, "This is our dining table where we sit and eat."
Everything aboard floats in zero gravity, requiring astronauts to secure items with Velcro and tape.
"Everything floats. So you will see Velcro... and tape all around." "You have to fix everything," he said, showing a ketchup bottle attached to the table.
Mr Shukla demonstrated how even a spoon behaves differently in space. With Velcro attached to its end, it floated when released.
"If you leave anything, it's gone. So, you hold it, you put it with Velcro on something," he explained.
He went on to show how astronauts handle liquids. "I am having my coffee right now. I'll just show an example of how it happens," he said, taking a sippy pouch and pressing the mouth with his fingers.
As he released it, the coffee floated upward, forming a solid bubble. He then put it in his mouth to show how astronauts consume liquids in microgravity.
"Look at that, you can even eat water in space, it is fun, but you have to be really careful. Things go all around and you just have to be mindful about everything," he said.
"Never thought I would have to learn to eat again," Mr Shukla wrote in the caption.
"If you are not mindful you can easily create a mess and you don't want to be that guy. Solid mantra that works for anything in space: 'Slow is Fast.'"
He also explained that digestion does not depend on gravity. "We don't need gravity to digest food," he said.
The process of peristalsis, which involves the contraction and relaxation of muscles, moves food through the digestive tract regardless of orientation or gravitational forces.
"Head up or head down, gravity or no gravity your body will always digest food. Bon appetit."
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