Space food may inspire new astronauts

The center at Iowa State University that’s helping develop food for use in outer space has donated sixteen space food kits to I-S-U’s extension offices in hopes of inspiring America’s next generation of astronauts. Extension spokesman Jay Staker says they want to give kids an idea of what eating in space is like.The kits are a plastic case that includes a replica of a space food tray that flies on the space shuttle, along with samples of space food, and some food that’s been in space already. Staker says the kits also include NASA videos and a teaching curriculum. He says the goal is to make them available for a variety of teaching opportunities.He envisions school teachers checking the kits out, as well as “informal” educators, such as scout groups and 4-H clubs. Staker says the idea is to get today’s kids interested in space again.He wants kids to think about the places in outer space that remain to be explored. He says NASA identifies the first colonists to Mars as the kids in elementary school today. I-S-U’s NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center donated the sixteen space food kits. The center helps develop foods and food-processing technologies for space travel.