CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Astronauts are always are on guard
against toxic spills
that could contaminate the International Space
Station.
But there is nothing in
their training manuals about how to clean up flying wasabi.
The spicy greenish
condiment was squirted out of a tube while astronaut Sunita
Williams [image]
was trying to make a pretend sushi meal with bag-packaged salmon. The three
space station crew members are given a certain number of bonus packs of their favorite
foods to help endure their months in space where most meals are the
equivalent of military MREs.
Since everything is
weightless, spilled food is no ordinary clean-up challenge.
"We finally got the wasabi
smell out after it was flying around everywhere,'' Williams told her mother
this week in a conversation arranged by Boston radio station WBZ. "We cleaned
it up off the walls a little bit.''
Williams, whose father was
born in India, has several Indian dishes in her bonus container, including
Punjabi kadhi with pakora -- vegetable fritters topped with yogurt and curry -- and
mutter paneer, a curry dish. The dishes are packaged to have a long shelf life
in space.
Her U.S. crew mate, astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, is an even bigger "foodie.'' Lopez-Alegria, who was
born in Madrid but grew up in California, had Spanish muffins known as
magdalenas, chorizo pork sausage and latte in his bonus container.
"Psychologically, it's very
important,'' space station dietitian Paula Hall said of the gourmet extras. "It's
really important to have variety, to have surprises. It's important to have
food that makes you happy, that makes you smile.''
Unfortunately for Williams,
the wasabi tube has been banished to a cargo vehicle where it will stay packed
away.
"I don't think we're going
to use it anymore,'' she said. "It's too dangerous.''
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