In space, astronauts’ food must meet unique requirements in terms of preservation, safety and taste. But it also plays a vital role in their wellbeing, providing a moment of pleasure and shared experience. It is in this spirit that ‘bonus food’ has been devised: gourmet creations tailored to the tastes and preferences of each astronaut. Since 2021, servair has been applying its expertise to this field of space gastronomy, supporting chefs and astronauts from the creation of recipes right through to their adaptation and packaging for space.
A first meeting
Between the astronaut and the chef
It all begins with a meeting. The astronaut and the chef share their tastes, inspirations and worlds to create, together, a unique and personalised culinary experience.
Creating recipes
Menus tailored to each astronaut
Following this meeting, the chef devises bespoke creations, inspired by the astronaut’s tastes and their own culinary world. Tested and refined with the servair teams, they are then adapted to the constraints of space to offer a unique gastronomic experience on board.
Adapting to the constraints of space
By François Adamski, servair Corporate Chef
Once the recipes have been devised, François Adamski and the servair R&D teams adapt them to the specific constraints of space: texture, taste, presentation, liquid content… everything is carefully considered to meet the requirements of eating in zero gravity and food safety standards. This unique expertise makes it possible to transform a gastronomic creation into a recipe capable of travelling all the way into space.
Packaging for space
Preserving flavour, on Earth and in orbit
The final challenge: ensuring that the dishes can be transported and stored throughout the duration of the mission, without refrigeration. Packaging in flexible pouches and sterilisation enable the dishes to be stored at room temperature for long periods, whilst preserving their flavour and texture as much as possible.
I really appreciated the work carried out by servair. It reflects a highly demanding technical ethos, and the end result particularly impressed me: the experience on board was surprisingly close to that of a proper meal on Earth. I was particularly taken with the spelt risotto, although all three dishes were exceptional.
Thomas Pesquet – Mission Alpha – 2021
I simply cannot pick one that stands out from the rest: they’re all exceptional. I love rice pudding just as much – it reminds me of my childhood – as I do onion soup, which reminds me of the one my grandmother used to make for me. When you don’t get the chance to enjoy such dishes every day on board the ISS, you appreciate them all the more.
Sophie Adenot – Mission Epsilon – 2026
Watch the video to find out how astronauts’ bonus food is made
