Space Nutrition evolved from an “Adopt-a-Classroom” effort led by scientists in the Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Our goal was to bring students closer to space research while learning about the importance of nutrition for astronauts (and for kids, too).
Specifically, we were focused on finding a way to bring students along with us as we worked to develop an experiment being readied for flight on a Space Shuttle mission. Starting in the Fall of 2001, monthly newsletters would highlight different elements of the experiment, the scientific process, and the breadth of the team involved in enabling life sciences research to be conducted by astronauts while orbiting the Earth. The tragic loss of Columbia and her crew on February 1, 2003, was devastating for all involved, along with the nation. We dedicate this book to Columbia’s STS-107 crew and all men and women who have given their lives in pursuit of space exploration. We celebrate here, the continued work of conducting science in space to provide myriad benefits for those watching from the Earth’s surface.
The original monthly newsletters were reimagined into book form, and the first edition of Space Nutrition was published in 2012. We continue to learn more about human adaptation to flying in space, and the role nutrition plays in keeping crews healthy. With support from NASA’s Human Research Program, Space Nutrition 2nd Edition – was made possible.
We hope that these books will engage students, teachers, and parents about the work going on in our tiny corner of NASA, and inform readers of the implications of this work for those on and off the planet. We remain honored, awed, and humbled to have the opportunity to continue to work with America’s space program. We hope this provides readers the opportunity to share in our journey of scientific and space exploration, and inspires the Artemis generation to go even further.
Space Nutrition, 2nd Edition
Download: Space Nutrition – PDF 19MB – Published 2024
Space Nutrition, 1st Edition
Download: Space Nutrition – PDF 42MB – Published 2012
Download: Space Nutrition – iTunes Book