India’s first crewed spaceflight, Gaganyaan, will take off next year initiating a new era of space exploration. The astronauts on board will get to carry special food developed by a military laboratory after experimenting with ingredients for almost two years. The menu will consist of Chicken biryani, chicken kurma, shahi paneer, dal chawal. aloo paratha, preserved chapatis, dal makhni, khichdi and mango pickle.Handpicked fighter pilots from the Indian Air Force who are currently undergoing training in Russia at the Yuri Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Centre at Star City near Moscow will get to enjoy this menu during their seven day mission.
A senior scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation said that the astronauts will get to eat three meals a day with the diet adding upto 2,500 calories. They have focused on nutrient adequacy and wholesomeness. Low fragmentation is critical in the zero gravity environment. The laboratory has prepared the menu in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The foods will be packed in 100 gm/200 gm packets. The contents of the food kits for the spaceflight will vary according to the individual preferences of the astronauts. The idea behind this is to provide them with balanced, lightweight meals that have low volume and are easy to consume.The kits will include special straws for drinking water, instant coffee and tea.
