World’s Fifth Space Tourist to Take Gourmet Meal to Space

Space Tourist, Charles Simonyi, Ph.D., will be taking a specially prepared gourmet meal with him on his trip to the International Space Station (ISS). Dr. Simonyi, who is set to become the world’s fifth space tourist, is scheduled to launch on April 7 onboard a Soyuz TMA spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan en route to the ISS.

As a personal gesture to his fellow crew members, and the astronauts and cosmonauts already aboard the ISS, Dr. Simonyi has chosen a special gourmet meal to be shared by the group during his mission. The menu for the meal, which was prepared by Alain Ducasse’s consulting and training center, ADF, was selected by Dr. Simonyi’s friend Martha Stewart.

“I am really looking forward to sharing this dinner with my crewmates on the station,” said software pioneer and aviator, Dr. Charles Simonyi. “Although the food is very good there, it is somewhat basic, and after a couple of weeks, everything starts tasting the same. I am certain a little variation will be surely welcome.”

Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures, the company which organized the spaceflights for the world's first and only private space explorers, said, “Charles is an exceptional client and has great respect for the career astronauts and cosmonauts he is working with, so it is no surprise that he has chosen to honor the crew in this way. With a menu hand-picked by Martha Stewart, among Alain Ducasse’s space food creations, this meal is sure to be a treat. Space Adventures is very proud to be able to help facilitate this special dinner.”

These “French meals”, as the Russians call them, do not compete in any way with the daily meals provided by the Russians and Americans, which are served in equal numbers on the ISS. The French Space Agency, with support of ADF, proposed special event meals, known as SEMs, to be served for exceptional assignments such as crew relief missions or extra-vehicular activity.

The six course meal, provided by Dr. Simonyi, includes: quail roasted in Madrian wine, duck breast 'confit' with capers, shredded chicken parmentier, apple fondant pieces, rice pudding with candied fruit, and semolina cake with dried apricots.

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