How do astronauts survive in extreme environments and what do they eat? This will be discussed at the Aerospace Festival , an event scheduled at the Archaeological Museum of Olbia from October 16 to 18 .
The “ Space Food” exhibition, presented by Altec SpA at Astec, will highlight the challenges and opportunities related to nutrition in extreme environments with the sector's leading players ready to present compact feeding solutions, indoor production systems, such as hydroponics, and regenerative crops, adaptive nutritional approaches and conservation protocols for long-duration missions.
And among the dishes, surprisingly, fregula also appears. It first went into orbit in 2007, when during a "space banquet" dedicated to Italian cuisine, this small, typical Sardinian semolina pasta was served to astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
Stefano Polato, also known as the "astronauts' chef," will discuss this during a roundtable discussion titled "Space Food: Technology, Taste, and Survival in Deep Space" (October 16 at 3:30 PM): his food has nourished Samantha Cristoforetti, Luca Parmitano, Paolo Nespoli , and many others. He will be joined by Antonella Pantaleo , professor at the University of Sassari; Stefania De Pascale , professor at the Federico II University of Naples; and Valentina Sumini, space architect. Moderating the engaging debate will be Marilisa Pischedda , founder of Astec and director of the Aerospace Festival: "The exhibition and roundtable dedicated to space food," explains Marilisa Pischedda, "represent an important opportunity for discussion between scientific research, technological innovation, and sustainability. As the Aerospace Festival, we intend to enhance the role of space as a cutting-edge laboratory, capable of generating knowledge and solutions applicable to the future of food on Earth." Space food isn't just nourishment, it's also a source of well-being and motivation for astronauts: the so-called bonus food is one of the most personal aspects of space missions, and highly anticipated because it restores value and meaning to something we often take for granted on Earth and which is sorely missed on longer missions.
Stefania De Pascale, full professor of Horticulture and Floriculture at the Federico II University of Naples and author of "Planting Potatoes on Mars: The Long Journey of Agriculture," will also present the results of her study on space agriculture to the event audience. "It's not just about ensuring astronauts' nutrition," says De Pascale, "but developing innovative, sustainable, and safe systems to support their life and well-being during long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. The knowledge gained," she explains, "also has a direct impact on Earth, opening new perspectives for more efficient, circular, and resource-friendly agriculture."
The Olbia Aerospace Festival will also feature authentic space food packages, research projects, and experimental solutions designed for a microgravity environment. The event, now in its third year, not only discusses training, technology, and space enterprise, but also brings together the dialogue between innovation and identity, within a project that looks to the future of the delicate balance between food, humanity, and the planet.
(Unioneonline)
