Chicken wings in zero gravity: China tests first-ever oven aboard space station
SMRTR summary
Twenty-eight minutes. That's all it took for Chinese astronauts aboard their space station to grill chicken wings using a revolutionary new oven, dramatically outpacing NASA's 2020 cookie-baking experiment that required over two hours for a single treat.
Crew members from the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 missions recently fired up their space barbecue, preparing New Orleans-style chicken wings and black pepper steak in what marks a significant leap in orbital cuisine technology.
The smokeless, oil-free oven represents more than just a cooking upgrade. It's designed to operate continuously for 500 cycles while meeting strict space station emission standards through advanced temperature control and multi-layer filtration systems.
"The space station is not just a laboratory; it is also the taikonauts' home," explains Kang Guohua, a professor at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. "A barbecue that soothes the soul is not just about satisfying the appetite, it's also a way to stay grounded psychologically."
The culinary expansion includes over 190 menu items and complements the station's vegetable garden, which has already produced 4.5 kilograms of fresh produce.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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