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Hello, everyone. I'm Kara O'Brien and welcome to Part 2 of this special edition of Destination Tomorrow.

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In Part 1, we found out how NASA researchers have made improvements in the types of foods astronauts have eaten

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since the beginning of the space program up till today.

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On this program, we will be discussing future food technologies and how they'll be used on long-duration missions.

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Recently, it was announced that NASA is planning to send a crewed mission back to the Moon and to Mars.

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Obviously, huge technological challenges will need to be overcome before these missions can be successfully accomplished.

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NASA researchers realize that trips like these will require building the appropriate type of spacecraft,

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having flawless life support systems, and will need the right tools to perform work once we arrive on these distant worlds.

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But a major concern that often gets overlooked by the general public is what types of food will be eaten by our astronauts on these long missions.

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Fortunately, previous missions to low-Earth orbit in the space shuttle and longer missions aboard the International Space Station

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have helped NASA better understand how food and the astronaut interact.

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But not much is known about how food will fare on these long missions.

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The primary goal of the food systems in these long missions will be to provide a palatable, nutritious, and safe food for our explorers,

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while also taking up as little room as possible.

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Food is vital for survival here on Earth, but is even more important in some respects in space.

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Its preparation, quantity, and quality are critical and can affect astronauts on a physiological level.

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One of the most crucial problems on long missions is bone loss.

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Typically, astronauts lose 1 to 2 percent of bone mass each month that they are in space, especially in the lower halves of their bodies.

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In the weightless environment of space, there is almost no stress on the skeletal system.

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Bones are no longer providing support to walk and are not being used to maintain body posture.

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This lack of stress on the bones may be a key factor in an astronaut's progressive bone loss in space.

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Other problems like fluid shift and space motion sickness must be taken into account when providing food to the astronaut crews.

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Meals must be chosen that can help slow many of the problems faced by astronauts.

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Another major concern for NASA food scientists is the stability of food that is packaged for these missions.

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It's vital that the food remain edible for years at a time, staying safe and stable aboard the spacecraft.

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This is perhaps one of the most important factors of the planned long-duration missions.

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If the food spoils, there are no options currently available to astronauts for nourishment.

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With missions to Mars requiring at least three years to complete, stored food must remain shelf-stable for that time, preferably longer.

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In the short term, food systems that are currently being used aboard the shuttle and space station are suitable for transit to another world.

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But once astronauts arrive, other alternatives need to be considered.

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With these thoughts in mind, researchers at NASA are developing new ways to help crews eat well in space.

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In addition to storing food aboard the spacecraft, many at NASA believe that growing food in space, or on planetary surfaces,

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will need to be perfected to help feed astronauts on these long missions.

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Coming up, Jennifer Pulley speaks with Dr. Michelle Perchonok at NASA Johnson Space Center to find out about foods of the future.

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But first...

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Did you know that freeze-dried ice cream sold in many museums today is not really eaten by our astronauts in space?

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In the mid-1960s, scientists blended and froze a mixture of coconut fat, milk solids, and sugar,

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then ground and compressed the mixture into cubes under high pressure, making a freeze-dried ice cream.

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This concoction was only taken into space once.

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In 1968, the Apollo 7 astronauts tested it while orbiting Earth.

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Although it is not known exactly what the crew thought of the ice cream, it's telling it was put on only one mission.

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Incidentally, the product sold today in the museum is produced differently.

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It is simply ice cream cut into cubes, then freeze-dried.