In preparation for his second mission to the International Space Station, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is training to be ready for launch. His second six-month mission is called Alpha and will see Thomas launch as part Crew-2 on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with NASA astronaut Megan Behnken and Shane Kimbrough and Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide.

This food tasting session with Shane at Star City near Moscow, Russia, is for the astronauts to give their opinion on the food they will eat during their time in space.

Astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station can choose from a vast variety of food before their mission starts and is a critical aspect for space travellers during long-term missions. Food is an important element to add flavour to their daily routine. Any extra variation is more than welcome and cherished by the astronauts and cosmonauts.

All foods going to space have to pass through a regime of tests to make sure they are able to endure an outer space environment without deteriorating. The food is either dehydrated or canned. Fresh food is rare on the Station, as fruit or vegetables stay fresh only for up to two days in space. The challenge in designing nutrition that is fit for space is to create food that withstands the extreme conditions of the space environment, is highly balanced and efficient as for nutritional value and at the same time is delicious.

More on ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet and his Alpha mission at www.esa.int/MissionAlpha