When NASA's shuttle Atlantis
launches toward the International
Space Station Wednesday, its six-astronaut
crew will leave the chef special at home.
Tucked away among the 750 pounds
(340 kilograms) of cargo in Atlantis' middeck lockers are some fresh fruit and
vegetables, but no gourmet meals akin to those designed by celebrity chef
Emeril Lagasse and launched
to the ISS aboard Discovery
in July, NASA spokesperson William Jeffs told SPACE.com.
Admittedly, the primary mission of
Atlantis' STS-115
mission, which is commanded by veteran NASA astronaut Brent Jett, is to
resume construction of the ISS and attach two new
trusses and a shiny pair of solar wings that will double the station's
current power supply once activated later this year. The mission is set
to launch on Sept. 6 at 12:28:46 p.m. EDT (1628:46 GMT).
But the space station's
three-astronaut crew - Expedition
13 commander Pavel
Vinogradov and flight engineers Jeffrey
Williams and Thomas
Reiter - will likely miss the zesty orbital meals dreamed up by Lagasse and
delivered to the ISS during July's STS-121
shuttle mission.
"It was so tasty, we absolutely
loved it all," Vinogradov told Lagasse during a space-to-ground phone call last
month. "That was a true and wonderful surprise."
Lagasse designed recipes - which
were prepared and packaged by NASA space food specialists - for mashed potatoes
with bacon, green beans and garlic, rice pudding, mixed fruit and spicy Mardi
Gras jambalaya, the latter of which scored high marks with the Expedition 13
crew.
"We have a longing for a little bit
spicier food," Reiter told Lagasse. "Our perception of taste is a little bit
decreased."
Lagasse told the ISS crew that he
has been a long-time believer in human spaceflight.
"I have to tell you that ever since
I was a little boy, I've been a huge fan of the space program," said Lagasse,
whose recipes and ISS phone call will be featured in an October episode of his
cooking show "Emeril Live." "I want to say what an absolute honor it is for you
to share my food with you."
Williams, NASA's ISS science
officer, told Lagasse that food is very important for station astronauts, and
not just because it helps keep spaceflyers alive.
"It's very important for the morale
of the crew," Williams said. "It's going to be very important for future
expeditions when we leave Earth orbit and go on to Mars."
On Williams' short list of Earth
foods which he misses most are an open cup of coffee - which he can taste more
than the bagged and straw-drunk versions on the ISS - and his wife Anna-Marie's
cooking.
"In general, I crave my wife's
cooking," Williams told Lagasse. "She's an excellent cook and she makes some
great salads."
Williams invited Lagasse to join the
Expedition 13 crew as their official chef, if - of course - he's ever in their
orbital neighborhood.
"Now, that would
definitely be kicking it up a few notches," Lagasse said.
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