OLOGIES with Alie Ward

Episode: Astrobromatology (SPACE FOOD) with Maggie Coblentz

Release Date: December 10, 2025
Guest: Maggie Coblentz (artist, designer, and astrobromatologist – "space food expert")

Episode Overview

This episode dives deeply into the world of space food—what astronauts eat, how those foods are developed and designed, the unique challenges of eating off-Earth, and how culinary culture adapts (or doesn’t) when gravity’s gone. Host Alie Ward invites artist-turned-space-food-researcher Maggie Coblentz to share her expertise and lived experience, peppered with her playful, earnest storytelling and reflective questions from curious Ologies fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who is Maggie Coblentz? (06:00–09:01)

• Background: Maggie is an artist and industrial designer who became passionate about reimagining life in space, focusing on food.
• Started by exploring the International Space Station (ISS) through photos, astronaut accounts, and eventually hands-on research including zero-gravity flights.
• Known among friends as "Space Maggie" or "Astro Gastronomer."

“My goal in starting this research endeavor was not actually to get a job... I was approaching it very much with the designer's or industrial designer’s lens and looking at how do people live in space? I thought that was such a weird question and really stretched my imagination.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 09:01

2. How Space Food Evolved (13:30–17:15)

• Early Days: First foods were canned—heavy and impractical for space travel.
• Freeze-Drying: A major innovation, creating foods resembling “sponges” (e.g., a freeze-dried burger patty with a barcode and Velcro for wall attachment).
• Rehydration: Up to 99% of ISS water is recycled from urine and sweat, which is then used for food reconstitution.
• Tang and Instant Foods: Tang, invented to mask the taste of recycled water (though Buzz Aldrin famously hated it).

“It’s a burger patty that’s been snapped in half and packed into this plastic wrap with all of the liquid removed from it... There’s a barcode on it... astronauts are—everything that they eat is monitored from the ground.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 14:25

3. Living With and Designing for Zero Gravity (10:28–12:08; 34:04–38:25)

• No dining table on the original ISS; astronauts jury-rigged a social "table" despite zero practical use in microgravity, reflecting human need for ritual.
• Eating involves strapping food and bodies down with Velcro and consuming directly from plastic pouches or bags.
• Space affects physiology (“space face”—fluid shifts cause congestion) that alters taste and smell, making food less appealing, often compared to having a cold.

“...it was this human nature to have some kind of design intervention for a meal and for socializing with their fellow crewmates.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 10:52

“There’s physiological changes in the body happening… they call it ‘space face’... their cheeks puff up... which affects how they can smell and how they can taste.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 30:58

4. What Do Astronauts Really Eat? (13:23–17:15; 27:53–32:23)

• Menu Basics: MRE-inspired meals, heavy on meat/protein (scrambled eggs, teriyaki chicken, beef items). European and Japanese agencies commission gourmet and culturally significant foods.
• International Selection: Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) offers diverse items (soy-glazed eel, mochi, fried chicken). European Space Agency astronauts sometimes get dishes crafted by Michelin-starred chefs.
• Treats: Special items (e.g., chocolate, cookies, maple cookies, rice dishes), but not at will—subject to storage, safety, and packaging requirements.

5. The Science & Culture of Space Food Fatigue (20:27–26:31)

• Food “fatigue” is common—menu monotony, missing fresh foods, excess soups and nuts.
• Astronauts eat less overall, with reported cravings for fresh, cold, or comfort foods.
• Nutritional Challenges: Long-term storage leads to vitamin degradation; “leaky gut” is a risk, so personalized, dense, antioxidant-rich diets and even bioengineering crops are being explored.
• Emotional Comfort: Growing herbs is done mainly for psychological comfort, not nutrition.

"Food doesn't matter... I'm just happy to be here... [But] then the complaining starts."
— Maggie Coblentz, 20:47

6. Ritual, Sensory, and Emotional Aspects of Eating in Space (30:44–40:51)

• Senses Diminished: Food is less flavorful; the station smells like “a gym locker.”
• Morale: Hot sauce becomes a prized item, rituals (even small ones) are crucial.
• Experimental Interventions: Maggie’s research includes using VR and aromas to heighten the meal experience for astronauts (e.g., recreating settings from home).

7. Cooking, Preparation, and Future Innovations (34:04–39:52; 63:22–65:17)

• Preparation on Earth: Most food is prepped and packaged on Earth. Food preparation in orbit is minimal due to risks and safety from contamination.
• Experimental Devices: Innovations include the Lavazza espresso machine and 0G ovens for cookies. China’s Tiangong space station now boasts a hot air oven; NASA competitions spurring new appliances (centrifugal canister ovens).
• No Frying or True Microwaves: For safety and energy reasons, heating means hot water, pouch warmers, or experimental devices.

“Today it is mostly water based... no stovetops, no frying, none of those things, sadly.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 63:22

8. Dietary Restrictions, Allergies, and “Crew Select” Items (51:17–58:23)

• Allergies, Ethics, and Inclusion: The food system still has gaps for allergies, vegans, and celiacs; NASA is not fully onboard yet, but a planned all-vegetarian Mars mission is in the works.
• Tortillas have replaced bread as a staple (no crumbs, easier to handle).
• “Crew select” treats: Astronauts can request a limited number of special snacks for morale, pending safety protocols.

9. Bodily Functions & Space Food Design Considerations (65:32–69:10)

• Water consumption is high, but astronauts sometimes intentionally dehydrate to reduce inconvenient bathroom trips.
• Waste and gas production shapes the menu—cruciferous veggies are minimized, and the ISS toilet is notoriously fragile (“the toilet’s always breaking”).
• Crumb control is critical—Maggie's helmet experiment led to floating candies everywhere, “picking them out for days.”

“For food I think it’s just try to be clean. You can’t have those crumbs. ...I opened this container and then all these tiny little candies floating up. They got in my nose, they got in my ear, they got in my hair.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 68:24

10. Societal, Cultural, and Future Frontiers (71:03–74:22)

• Maggie is excited by the intersection of practicality, humanity, and whimsy in space research—trying, through food, to preserve the ritual and identity of humanness when everything else is controlled.
• She avoids work in space tourism, wary of commercial “astronaut sales.”
• Cultural considerations make their way to the ISS: Korean kimchi, sakura flowers (preserved as “food”) for homesick astronauts, international food diplomacy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the reality of space food:

“I think what I gathered was what you can do in 30 seconds of weightlessness is, unsurprisingly, very limited... being in weightlessness is a lot of fun, and it’s so fascinating. But just having to relearn how you use your body for the most basic of tasks, including eating... is just a really surreal experience.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 38:29

On astronaut morale:

“I think cold things in general are craved because this rehydration station, it’s hot water, it’s warm water, it’s room temperature water, but there’s not really access to a refrigerator... chocolate, ice cream, real ice cream, pizza. It’s like basic stuff.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 54:18

On the smells of the station:

“Astronauts tell us that this space station smells like a gym locker... you can imagine that anything you eat or heat up and open is going to, you know, add its special aromas into this shared space.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 32:23

On crumbs and cleaning up:

“They do have some kind of crazy vacuum... And for food I think it’s just try to be clean. You can’t have those crumbs. Actually in my space food helmet this was a big problem... all these tiny little candies floating up. They got in my nose, they got in my ear, they got in my hair. I was picking them out for days.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 68:24

On the whimsical side of space food science:

“I love whimsy... and I think space has so much potential for being whimsical and being imaginative and just stretching my mind in ways that I didn’t think were possible.”
— Maggie Coblentz, 73:36

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 06:00 — Introducing Maggie, her background, and the “Space Food” career
• 09:01 — Transition from design/art into space research
• 13:30 — The history and evolution of space food
• 14:25 — Freeze-dried food demonstration
• 20:27 — Astronaut attitudes toward space food; menu fatigue
• 27:53 — Space food “show and tell” (European, Japanese menus)
• 30:44 — Meat-heavy menus and international menu options
• 30:58 — Physiology, taste, and smell changes in space
• 34:04 — Preparation and challenges of cooking in space
• 38:29 — Zero-G flight experiment and findings
• 51:17 — Dietary restrictions, tortillas, and the ethics of selection
• 63:22 — How food is heated in space (no real cooking)
• 65:32 — Hydration, dehydration, and bathroom logistics
• 68:24 — Crumbs, cleanup, and the infamous floating candies incident
• 73:36 — The importance of whimsy and imagination in astrobromatology

Audience Q&A Highlights (50:29–70:00)

• Dietary Restrictions: NASA's menus are not yet fully accommodating for vegan/vegetarian or severe allergies; upcoming Mars missions may be.
• Tortillas vs. Bread: Tortillas minimize crumbs and are a fan favorite.
• Cravings: Astronauts miss cold/fresh foods and have reported wanting beer—even though alcohol is now banned.
• Crew Select Treats: "Crew select" options allow for some flexibility and nostalgic foods (like kimchi for a Korean astronaut).
• Equipment: Food is mostly reheated with hot water; some niche prep devices and experimental ovens exist, but safety is paramount.
• Waste: Menu design tries to minimize fart-inducing foods; the ISS toilet is fragile—space plumbers are vital!

Closing Reflections

Maggie and Alie wrap up on how food is never just about calories or logistics—it’s about ritual, comfort, culture, identity, and adaptation in profoundly unfamiliar environments. Space food design, therefore, is a surprisingly deep window into what we value as a species venturing beyond Earth.

For More:

• Follow Maggie Coblentz online for updates on her work connecting artists and scientists.
• Consider donating to AstroAccess.org, promoting disability access in human space exploration.

Tone

Conversational, science-curious, cheeky, but always precise—a signature of Ologies with Alie Ward.

Compiled by your friendly neighborhood podcast summarizer.