The first e-commerce coming from Space is branded? Jusan Network.
Great news are coming directly from Space: the food furnished to the european astronauts for their spatial missions will be available on Earth soon. Finally we will be able to try the intergalactic taste of Space Food thanks to Argotec and its project of e-commerce developed and realized by Jusan Network. Argotec is an aerospace engineering company based in Turin, involved in research and development in several ranges: informatic, system integration and “human space flights and operation” on behalf of ESA, the European Spatial Agency.
One of its most famous products, for example, is the real-time control system of telemetry, used in many spatial centers, including a mission-room of NASA in Houston. The Turinese company is also responsible for the formation of astronauts in the European Astronaut Centre based in Colony.
Moreover, Argotec is the sole responsible in Europe for the realization of the bonus food destined to long-term spatial missions on the International Spatial Station. The Italian cuisine goes beyond Earth and flies on Space! ??Bonus food is generally defined to indicate special occasions food, consumed with the family or friends. Indeed, after having been confined in space for months, it offers a great support in terms of nutrition and spirituality, bringing back to mind episodes and habits of life on Earth.
?Astronaut Luca Parmitano has been able to enjoy the menu of the Argotec chef, during “Volare” spatial mission. In the specific: rice with pesto sauce, parmigiana, caponata, lasagne and tiramisu. As long as these things were unimaginable till few years ago, now the Italian cuisine really overpasses the Earth:
“… an excellent product not only for its taste, but also for its quality and nutritional supply. It has been even more beautiful to get the chance to share it with the colleagues, getting tighter in a jolly moment of cultural exchange. All the products of six months have been consumed in just a day and we’ve talked about it for the rest of the mission.
The statement of Luca Parmitano has been very meaningful, but Argotec is not restricted to Italian products. Even astronaut Alexander Gerst, in the “Blu Dot Mission”, has been able to enjoy a typical German cuisine menu.
A new project, on the other hand, will accompany astronaut Samanta Cristoforetti during the next “Futura Mission”. Samanta, indeed, has chosen a menu which mirrors a healthier lifestyle based on cereals, vegetable and fruits.
David Avino, the managing director of Argotec, says that Space Food was born from the knowledge of astronauts’ activities:
“We have trained Luca Parmitano, Samanta Cristoforetti and all those of the same class. We have furnished them the so-called “basic training”, consisting in whatever could be the first step of an approach to a space experience. A direct relationship with astronauts, in order to train from the first phases to everyday activities, facing realities and what could be referred to as “fear” also what astronauts could be afraid of. ”
But the Argonaut engineers of the Turinese company are not limited simply to the space; they study how to bring the aerospace technology on the Earth too, with the purpose of implementing it to everyday life and satisfying different needs:
“Me too, when I can’t come back home for lunch or dinner on business, I climb down the stairs and I take a pack of this space food, I heat it up and I obtain immediately a ready meal, instead of going out to take a piece of pizza, which probably is not that healthy if you eat it everyday.
After a lavish meal, in order to fully respect the Italian cuisine tradition, we also need a coffee worthy of its name. This is another great engineering and scientific challenge won by Argotec together with Lavazza, producing a machine able to distribute a perfect espresso even in the absence of gravity: this is ISSPRESSO, born by the cohesion between the authentic Italian espresso and the ISS, International Spatial Station, upon which will soon be installed the first capsule machine.
A mission in the mission, because taking a real coffee in space means going against every law based on fluid dynamics. The studies of Argotec, Lavazza and the ISS have allowed us to give birth to a unique product never seen before. David Avino adds that it’s not about a “simple” coffee machine:
“… It will also give the chance to rehydrate food in the spatial station, producing for example different kinds of soups, coming back to the importance of the nutritional value of food consumed in a spatial mission.”
Now Space Food is ready to be launched on the Earth, and we all are waiting for its arrival. The E-commerce project has been realized by us of Jusan Network and from the 23rd to the 27th of October 2014, it will be possible to meet the Argotec team at the Salone Internazionale del Gusto di Torino, in the “Padiglione 2” (2G 052- 2H 051) of Lingotto Fiere.