Space Burrito Recipe Revealed by Astronauts

By Tariq Malik
published

Space Burrito Recipe Revealed by Astronauts
Shuttle pilot Kevin Ford displays his creation, a “peanut butter popsicle,” made of a tortilla, some peanut butter and a butter knife to control it. Astronauts took a video of the concoction on Sept. 8, 2009 during the STS-128 mission. (Image credit: NASA TV)

A burrito for breakfast is always a tasty treat, even forastronauts in space.

Astronauts aboard NASA?s shuttle Discovery have started someof their mornings in orbit with tortillas stuffed with eggs and sausage, vitalingredients for any space breakfast burrito. The shuttle is dueto land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Friday evening after a day?sdelay to end a 14-day trek to the International Space Station.

Discovery?s resident burrito chef is Danny Olivas, whoperfected his space burrito recipe during a previous flight.

?Danny is an expert in zero-g burrito making,? astronaut JoseHernandez radioed Mission Control while narrating a video early Wednesday.

Tortillas are a staple in space since, unlike bread, theydon?t send crumbs floating every which way in weightlessness. But that doesn?tmean making a space burrito is any less challenging.

?If you?re not careful, the eggs will float all over themiddeck, so a little precision is required,? Discovery commander Rick Sturckowsaid. But the final result, he added, is a breakfast fit for any spaceflyer.

The shuttle astronauts have concocted some other space foodtreats during their mission.

Pilot Kevin Ford slathered peanut butter on a tortilla witha butter knife that clung to his creation. The astronaut dubbed it a ?peanutbutter popsicle.?

Astronaut Tim Kopra, who is returning to Earth after nearlytwo months aboard the International Space Station, tossed a Lifesaver candyring into a blob of water to create what he called a ?space eyeball.?

?It?s one of the skills all astronauts have, being able toplay with water and playwith food,? Kopra said.

Discovery?s shuttle astronauts are due to land in Florida Fridayat 5:48 p.m. EDT (2105 GMT), though stormy weather at the Kennedy Space Centercould force the crew to use a backup runway in California later this evening.

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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.