Shubhanshu Shukla to savor Indian delicacies in space

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will be able to savour varieties of rice, moong dal halwa and mango nectar during his sojourn to the International Space Station aboard the Axiom Mission 4 scheduled for launch later this month.

Shukla, who will spend 14 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), will also have the option to choose from a range of international cuisine, as approved for the mission by NASA.

Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), have developed a range of rice dishes, moong dal halwa and mango nectar, among other items, for astronauts to savour during space missions.

"Shukla ji will get 'ghar ka khana (home food)' and also have the option to choose from international cuisine, as approved by NASA," said DK Singh, director of ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre.

ISRO and DRDO have developed food items for astronauts of the Gaganyaan mission and the same is being made available to Shukla with NASA's approval, he said.

Axiom Space last month shared a video of Axiom Mission 4 crew members sampling multiple food options available aboard the ISS.

In the video, Shukla could be seen sampling a variety of dishes, rating each based on taste and preference. These meals will later be packed and sent to the space station for the Axiom Mission 4 astronauts to consume during their 14-day mission.

The Axiom Mission 4 will have veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson as commander, Shukla as mission pilot, and Polish astronaut Sawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu as mission specialists.

Axiom Space has announced the Axiom Mission 4 would be launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at 10:33 pm IST on May 29.