How to look good (& eat well) in space

Know how hard it is to find stylish clothes for work? Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki certainly does.

In order to look her best on her 13-day mission to the International Space Centre, Yamazaki commissioned Tae Ashida to design her a new work outfit.  Like all good fashion, Ashida’s look (below left) reflects earlier designs (right), only with more detail and less fabric.

There’s a chance Yamazaki may have been keen to save space in her suitcase, as she also packed a miniature koto (Japanese harp). My favourite tweeter Astro_Soichi has a traditional flute up there, so I’m guessing they’re planning some sort of intergalactic Japanese jam.

With ramen, no doubt, as Astro_Soichi was instrumental in testing the original zero-gravity ramen back in 2005 when he was preparing for a US Spaceship Discovery flight. Space Ram, as it’s called, has thick soup and noodle balls that can be eaten straight from the pouch (without needing a straw like most astro food). The astro ramen comes in four flavours – soy sauce, miso, curry and tonkotsu (pork broth), which is more than most UK supermarket have on offer.

These astronaut/designer and astronaut/noodle collaborations highlight how things have progressed since the early days of space exploration. According to the website for Space Food Sticks (remember them?), a 1960s headline sums it up best:

Space Food Hideous - But it Costs a Lot.

Judging by the picture at the top, at least they had the fashion sorted.

**More Tae Ashida at Japan Fashion Week.

Sin in Space cover from Jbergen, Ashida design from AFP, ramen (not actual space ram as the pouch looks pretty nasty) from Rakka & awesome Kool-Aid shot from xraydelta.