Pierogi in space

Sławosz is bringing a taste of home to space with a special menu created together with a celebrity chef and a family-owned company in Poland. The food selection includes pierogi stuffed with cabbage and mushrooms, tomato soup with noodles, Polish “leczo” stew with buckwheat, and apple crumble for dessert. 

Taste of Poland in space

Any food delivered to the International Space Station must be crumb-free, lightweight and keep for at least 24 months.

Most of the space menu consists of canned or freeze-dried meals in plastic packages. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a luxury, only available when a spacecraft arrives with new supplies.

Bonus food catered for specific crew members makes up around 10 percent of their menu. Astronauts say this bonus food adds variety to their dishes, boosts their mental wellbeing and helps them bond with the crew in orbit.

“I wanted a truly Polish menu that I could share with my fellow astronauts. Food brings psychological comfort, and I instantly thought it would be worth taking some Polish delicacies into orbit,” says Sławosz.

The pierogi challenge

Pierogi have been part of Polish cuisine since the 13th century. These dumplings remain a staple of Polish home cooking and an essential part of Christmas Eve celebrations.

“When I heard about the possibility of choosing my bonus food menu, pierogi were always at the top of my list! I like to make them myself,” explains Sławosz.

The Polish astronaut, who will be conducting over a dozen technological and scientific experiments during the Ignis mission, met an unexpected challenge with his beloved pierogi.

“The first batches kept bursting! It was not only about cooking the food, it was also the technological process behind. It took us a while to master freeze-drying, to remove moisture from the stuffing through the dough and to dispose of the water left after rehydration,” he admits. 

Freeze-drying is a long process that completely removes any water from the food, maintaining its properties and structure for years.

Sławosz partnered with Polish family business LYOFOOD, a small company with over three decades of experience with freeze-drying technology that helped to find a solution for pierogi to be enjoyed after adding hot water from the dispensers on the Space Station.

Renowned Polish chef and restaurateur Mateusz Gessler created the main three dishes, while the apple crumble dessert is part of LYOFOOD’s menu.

Ignis menu

• Pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms
• Tomato soup with noodles
• Polish “leczo” stew with buckwheat
• Apple crumble

Food in space

Microgravity has an impact on bone density, muscle tone and nutrients, and it becomes vital that Sławosz's diet contains the fuel he needs.

An astronaut’s space menu comprises a range of food designed to meet nutritional and operational requirements on board. Teams on the ground start selecting meals months in advance because food must be sent to the lab for safety and nutritional testing after being freeze-dried, thermostabilised or vacuum-packed.

Before his Ignis mission takes off, Sławosz participated in several space food tasting sessions and rated food and drinks. This helped determine what dishes will be included in their basic food supply throughout the mission.