As families across Asia gathered under the full moon for the Mid-Autumn Festival, three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-20 spacecraft marked the occasion 390 kilometers above Earth with a zero-gravity banquet blending tradition and technology.
The crew enjoyed an expanded menu featuring mushroom dishes, savory tofu rolls, and shrimp balls – all specially engineered for space consumption. Festive highlights included symbolic space-adapted mooncakes and osmanthus cheese rice cakes, accompanied by protein-rich selections like braised pork and black pepper beef.
"Tasting these familiar flavors helps us feel connected to everyone celebrating below," said mission commander Wang Yaping during an Earth-space video call. The meal marked a cultural milestone in China's space program, demonstrating how modern astronauts maintain centuries-old traditions while pushing technological boundaries.
Nutritionists developed the festival menu to meet strict spaceflight requirements while preserving authentic flavors. The special mooncakes, for instance, use crumb-free pastry to prevent equipment contamination.
