What NASA astronauts Sunita, Butch ate for nine months in space on ISS

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Willmore have finally returned to Earth after spending almost 288 days at the International Space Station (ISS).

The two Nasa astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule splashed off the coast of Florida on Wednesday, at 2.37 am (IST).

The ISS, located 254 miles (409 km) above Earth, and roughly measuring the size of a football field, has hosted many astronauts from around the world for nearly 25 years now.

NASA has well-documented the effects of living in space for months on the bodies of astronauts. These challenges include muscle and bone loss, fluid shifts that can lead to kidney stones, vision issues, and balance readjustment upon return to gravity. NASA has so far managed these effects well.

Moreover, Williams and Wilmore are experienced ISS crew members.

Space cuisine

So, what was the cuisine on board the ISS for the NASA astronauts? The New York Post in November last year had reported that Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were tucking into pizza, roast chicken, and shrimp cocktails in space.

The report quoting a specialist linked to the Boeing Starliner mission said that the pair was eating a variety of food, including breakfast cereal with powdered milk, pizza, shrimp cocktails, roast chicken. This was being done to ensure they were consuming enough calories.

Fresh produce?

The food, which is developed at the Space Food Systems Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, contained fresh fruit and vegetables as well. But fresh produce was limited since it had to be replenished every three months.

Further, it was highlighted that fresh fruits were available to the two astronauts at first, however, they ran out of it in three months, according to news reports. After three months, the fruits and vegetables were "packaged or freeze-dried.”

Also read: Sunita Williams' return: Vision impairment, kidney stones, other health fears

Personalised food

The food available to astronauts was usually 'personalised' to meet their daily requirements. But it was largely freeze-dried or packaged and could be reheated using a food warmer available at the space station.

Nearly 3.8 pounds of food per astronaut per day was stocked at the ISS, said a NASA report. They also had an additional stockpile of food for any unexpected mission extensions.

The meat and eggs which the astronauts ate were cooked on earth and only needed to be reheated in space.

Consumption of water

Meanwhile, the water requirement for dehydrated soups, stews, and casseroles was met through ISS’s 530-gallon fresh water tank.

The station also recycled astronauts' urine and sweat into fresh water for consumption.

Watch: Sunita Williams returns: Science behind astronaut recovery, what India can learn

Gaunt Williams

The astronauts’ diets came into scrutiny after NASA released photos that showed Williams looking gaunt and thin around last year.

Williams however dismissed her visible weight loss as “rumours,” and said her weight loss was probably the result of fluid shifting in her body due to the weightlessness of space.

However, experts clarified that any weight loss was not due to a lack of food on the ISS. There is plenty of food, even for an extended mission, experts had said emphatically.