Life in zero gravity is hard. Just ask the people aboard the International Space Station, who have to spent months, if not years, floating and going above and around Earth constantly, but just because they're up there doesn't mean they can't have nice things.
Yes, You Can Make Pizza In Space
Paolo Nespoli, an Italian astronaut currently orbiting the planet inside the ISS, missed pizza so much that he brought it up to his boss during a livestreamed public event. So the boss relented and let the astronauts make their own pizza in space.
According to a tweet by Nespoli, his boss supplied the necessary ingredients from Earth to make a space version of pizza. Randy Bresnik, a crew member of Expedition 53, uploaded a video on Twitter showing how they made pizza in zero gravity. Surprisingly, it looks very similar to Earth's.
Earth pizza is sumptuous, delicious, and all kinds of perfect, but how about space pizza? Well, while they obviously didn't hold a candle to Earth pizza, Nespoli said space pizza was "unexpectedly delicious."
The taste was ultimately just part of the parcel. Making it in zero gravity was probably the real doozy, and it's also what made the experience unique and, quite literally, out of this world. In the video, different pizzas float inside the ISS, and it's funny to realize that floating objects are a normal part of the life of an astronaut aboard the ISS.
Simple Things Astronauts Can't Have
If anything, this little pizza-making session serves as a reminder that astronauts have to sacrifice a lot of things while in space for important research. They don't, or can't, enjoy things such as food, experiences, and other things as frequently as those on Earth can. Also, because they're in space, they're usually treated to highly nutritious yet none-too-appetizing vacuum-packed food, so having a pizza that's as close to Earth pizza as possible was a big deal.
Even still, they do celebrate certain events even when they're far from Earth, including Thanksgiving. Inside the ISS, it's not that different, with food staples such as turkey, mashed potatoes, and candied yams included in the Thanksgiving menu. In a way, this makes the ISS akin to home away from home.
Thoughts about space pizza? What do you think does it taste like? Would you personally try the ISS's version of pizza? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
