NASA

Artemis IV: Gateway Gadget Fuels Deep Space Dining

Learn about the handy device NASA is developing to help astronauts rehydrate their meals aboard the Gateway Lunar Space Station during the ambitious Artemis IV mission.

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Sep 5, 2024 - 17:00

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Artemis IV: Gateway Gadget Fuels Deep Space Dining

2 min read

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The image shows a compact, handheld water dispenser device placed on a table, with several vacuum-sealed packets of food arranged in front of it. The device is white with yellow tape and has various labels and instructions on its surface. It includes a large, graduated syringe-like component marked in milliliters, used for precise water measurement. The food packets in front of the device contain different types of rehydratable meals in various colors and textures, indicating the preparation of food for consumption in a space environment. The background features a white grid pattern, enhancing the focus on the device and food packets. This device is being developed for astronauts who live and work aboard Gateway.

A prototype of the Mini Potable Water Dispenser, currently in development at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is displayed alongside various food pouches during a demonstration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

NASA/David DeHoyos

NASA engineers are working hard to ensure no astronaut goes hungry on the Artemis IV mission.

When international teams of astronauts live on Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon, they’ll need innovative gadgets like the Mini Potable Water Dispenser. Vaguely resembling a toy water soaker, it manually dispenses water for hygiene bags, to rehydrate food, or simply to drink. It is designed to be compact, lightweight, portable and manual, making it ideal for Gateway’s relatively small size and remote location compared to the International Space Station closer to Earth.

The team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama leading the development of the dispenser understands that when it comes to deep space cuisine, the food astronauts eat is so much more than just fuel to keep them alive.

“Food doesn’t just provide body nourishment but also soul nourishment,” said Shaun Glasgow, project manager at Marshall. “So ultimately this device will help provide that little piece of soul nourishment. After a long day, the crew can float back and enjoy some pasta or scrambled eggs, a small sense of normalcy in a place far from home.”

As NASA continues to innovate and push the boundaries of deep space exploration, devices like the compact, lightweight dispenser demonstrate a blend of practicality and ingenuity that will help humanity chart its path to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.