The first edition, published in 2009, aimed to consolidate existing knowledge on astronaut nutrition and identify gaps in data critical for reducing risks related to inadequate food systems for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Using a nutrient-by-nutrient approach, the volume also included insights into historical space food systems.
In 2014, NASA followed up with a second volume, shifting from a nutrient-centered view to a systems-based approach. This update reflected six years of new research and provided a more holistic look at how nutrition affects the body's physiological systems during spaceflight.
The current edition builds on these foundations, combining a systems approach with detailed information about the role of individual nutrients within different physiological systems, such as bone, muscle, and ocular health. It features updated research on space food systems, dietary intake data from astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and findings from ground-based analog studies that simulate spaceflight conditions, such as head-down tilt bed rest and undersea habitats.
In addition to modern spaceflight research, this edition reviews data from historical missions, including the Space Shuttle, Mir, Apollo, and Skylab programs. It draws extensively on the wealth of data collected over 20 years of ISS operations, where long-duration spaceflights (ranging from 4 to 12 months) have yielded critical insights into the importance of nutrition for astronaut health.
With this book, NASA aims to capture the current state of space food and nutrition research and provide guidance for future studies that will support human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
Research Report:Human Adaptation to Spaceflight: The Role of Food and Nutrition - 2nd Edition
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