Even by the exacting standards of France’s gastronomes, it sounds like a meal that is truly out of this world. When the French astronaut Sophie Adenot travels to theInternational Space Stationnext year, she will dine on French classics such as lobster bisque, foie gras and onion soup prepared specially for her by a chef with 10 Michelin stars.
Parsnip and haddock velouté, chicken with tonka beans and creamy polenta, and a chocolate cream with hazelnut cazette flower will also be on the menu, theEuropean Space Agencysaid on Wednesday.
Food delivered to the ISS must meet strict specifications. It cannot be crumbly or too heavy and must be able to be stored for two years, the agency said.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are available only when a new spacecraft arrives with supplies. So most meals in space are canned, vacuum-packed or freeze-dried from a set of options provided by space agencies.
To spice things up, one out of every 10 meals is prepared for specific crew members according to their personal tastes.
Adenot said: “During a mission, sharing our respective dishes is a way of inviting crewmates to learn more about our culture. It’s a very powerful bonding experience.”
Her menu was developed by the French chef Anne-Sophie Pic, who holds 10 Michelin stars and was named best female chef by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2011.
Pic said it was an “exhilarating challenge” to develop the menu, which includes four starters, two mains and two desserts.
Adenot, 42, a former helicopter test pilot, is scheduled to arrive for her first tour on the ISS in 2026.
A pair of Nasa astronautsreturned to Earth in Marchafter being unexpectedly stuck on the ISS for more than nine months because of problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.