It turns out that, even in space, freshly baked chocolate-chip cookiessmell incredible.
Recently, a batch of chocolate chip cookies the first food ever baked in space returned to Earth aboard aSpaceX Dragon capsule (three of the five cookies, which were baked one at a time, were returned to Earth). The cookies started out from the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel chain as Earth-made dough, which launched to the International Space Station along with the Zero G oven (the first oven designed to work in space) on Nov. 2, 2019.
Now, following the cookies' return, we have the final results from this delicious experiment.
Related:Space Food Evolution: How Astronaut Chow Has Changed (Photos)
So, first things first, the astronauts aboard the space station were able to smell the second, third, fourth and fifth cookies they baked, a press representative said in an email statement (the first cookie turned out underbaked and didn't cook long enough to emit an aroma). In space, even without gravity, smells travel via individual aroma molecules. In the microgravity environment aboard the space station, these molecules travel in whatever direction they are moved. (On Earth, the aroma molecules move in all directions due to random collisions with air molecules.)
Now, smelling the chocolate-chip cookies on the space station, where astronauts can eat only "space foods," you might assume that the spacefliers wouldn't be able to resist sneaking a bite of a freshly baked cookie. However, "while the brand's chocolate chip cookies were likely fit for consumption after they were baked on the ISS, additional testing is required before any food can be considered officially 'edible,'" the representative told Space.com in an email.
"But don't worry," the representative added, "astronauts aboard the ISS enjoyed special pre-baked DoubleTree chocolate-chip cookies that were sent up on Nov. 2, 2019!"
Related:DoubleTree Offers Limited Edition 'Cookies in Space' Tin
Before the cookie dough headed to the space station, there was speculation about how the dough would bake in microgravity. Would it puff up and bake into a sphere? Would it look like a regular cookie? Would the cookie take longer to bake? Would it take less time?
On Earth, the average cookie made with this DoubleTree chocolate-chip cookie dough took 16-18 minutes to bake in a convection oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius). The astronauts, who baked the first four cookies at 300 F and the fifth cookie at 325 F (165 C), were instructed to figure out exactly how long it would take to properly bake a cookie in space.
In baking the first cookie, they found that after 25 minutes it was underbaked. The second cookie only started to fill the station with its delicious aroma after a whopping 75 minutes in the oven.
The cookies that seemed to bake the best were the fourth and fifth cookies, which baked for 120 and 130 minutes, respectively, and were then left to cool outside the oven for 25 and 10 minutes, respectively.
So, were they spherical? Weird looking? Apparently not. The cookies looked just like cookies baked on Earth, according to a DoubleTree statement.
"Perfecting the baking process for our DoubleTree cookies took time, even on Earth, so we were excited to learn that our cookies appear to look and smell the same on the ISS as they do in our hotels," Shawn McAteer, the senior vice president and global head of DoubleTree by Hilton, said in the statement. "The innovation displayed throughout this experiment and emphasis on making long-duration space travel more hospitable underscores our ongoing commitment to ensuring guests always have a comfortable stay, wherever they may travel."
Want to see the cookies for yourself? First, the cookies will undergo more testing, informing our understanding of how food bakes in microgravity so that future crewed missions might be more comfortable, according to the statement.
Then, after testing, the cookies are to be preserved and put on display. One of the cookies has also been offered as a donation to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where it is being considered for display in the collection.
Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Read more here:
Houston, we have a bake-off! We finally know what happens when you bake cookies in space - Space.com
- Soyuz Spacecraft Undocks to Return Three Crewmates to Earth - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Multinational team safely returns to Earth from the International Space Station - UPI News - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- US, Russian and Belarusian ISS crew members safely return to Earth - FRANCE 24 English - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Soyuz capsule with crew of 3, including 1st female astronaut from Belarus, lands safely to end ISS mission - Space.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- A Soyuz capsule carrying 3 crew from the International Space Station lands safely in Kazakhstan - Bozeman Daily Chronicle - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- NASA investigates possible space junk that crashed through Florida home - Fox Weather - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Trio Finalizes Packing, Science Activities Before Friday Departure - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Will the 2024 total solar eclipse be visible from space? - Space.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- A Soyuz capsule carrying 3 crew from the International Space Station lands safely in Kazakhstan - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Kazakhstan Russia Space Station | Nation % World AP news of the day | chronicleonline.com - Citrus County Chronicle - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Brain Research Tops Science Schedule Ahead of Crew Departure - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mysterious object that crashed through Florida home was likely space junk from the International Space Station - Livescience.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Falling Object That Crashed Into Florida Home May Be Debris From the International Space Station - Smithsonian Magazine - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mitsubishi takes stake in Starlab Space - SpaceNews - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mysterious Object That Tore Through Florida Home May Be From the ISS - Newsweek - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Florida man nearly hit by possible space junk that tore through roof of his home: 'Almost hit my son' - New York Post - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Suspected space object crashes through roof of home in Naples, Florida - ABC News - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Former flight attendant for Belavia Airlines is back on earth from the ISS - AIRLIVE - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Space trash from the International Space Station tears through Florida mans home - WDBO - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- NASA probing where chunk of metal that hit a Florida house came from - Business Insider - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- SpaceX launches its 30th Dragon cargo mission to the ISS (video) - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX rocket launch: Coffee, cherry tomatoes heading to space station - Florida Today - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Resupply Mission Docks With Space Station - Aviation Week - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Space Station Welcomes Cargo, Awaits Crew Arrival - AmericaSpace - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- This Week @NASA: A Commercial Mission Carries Science to the Space Station - SciTechDaily - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz MS-25 flight to Space Station launches successfully after Thursday's scrub - UPI News - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Launch aborted of Russian Soyuz spacecraft seconds before blast-off - Reuters - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz rocket carrying first Belorussian woman in space en route to ISS - The Spokesman Review - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- NASA Selects New Round of Candidates for CubeSat Missions to Station - NASA - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Immunology Studies and Robotics for Orbital Residents as Crew and Cargo Craft Count Down to Launch - NASA Blogs - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Russian Soyuz rocket suffers rare last-minute abort during launch of 3 astronauts to ISS (video) - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Watch Russian Soyuz rocket launch 3 spaceflyers to the ISS on March 23 - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz launches to station after scrub - SpaceNews - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Dragon soars under sunny skies Thursday to dock with International Space Station - Florida Today - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX to launch 30th cargo mission to the ISS for NASA this week - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur ... - Colorado Springs Gazette - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Astronaut and UC Davis alum Tracy C. Dyson headed to the International Space Station for 3rd mission - KCRA Sacramento - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX launches mission to International Space Station from Florida - WFLA - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Notre Dame professor sends cancer research to space station - South Bend Tribune - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz launches 3 new crew members to ISS on its 71st flight - Interesting Engineering - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Astronauts Aboard ISS Find Lost Tomato Missing for 8 Months - PEOPLE - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA astronaut will celebrate Hanukkah in space with felt menorah - Space.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Four-time Space Veteran Jeff Williams to Retire from NASA - El Paso Inc. - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA astronauts finally find tomato that was lost in space for months - New York Post - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- A tomato lost for 8 months on space station has finally been found, and it is a big deal - WION - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- ISS astronauts find tomato that was lost in space for 8 months - FreshPlaza.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Watch ISS astronaut speak with Nobel Prize winners on Dec. 11 - Yahoo News - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Mysterious "red sprite" captured by space station astronaut - Earth.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts find tomato lost 8 months earlier aboard ISS - Supercar Blondie - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA pushes back timing of ISS deorbit vehicle contract - The Register - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Health, Manufacturing Science Day Before Station's 25th Anniversary - NASA Blogs - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Turns 25, Just in Time to Die - Futurism - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Tomato lost in space by astronaut has finally been found - Boing Boing - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts Just Found a Tomato That Was Missing for 8 Months in Space - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Astronauts Find Desiccated Tomato After Blaming Colleague for Its Theft - Futurism - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Public can tune in as NASA live streams space station's 25th anniversary call to crew - UPI News - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Happy Zero-Gravity Hanukkah! Jewish Holiday Celebrated Aboard International Space Station - The Weekly Journal - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Crew Proves Missing Tomato Wasn't Eaten By Astronaut - Tasting Table - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts from these countries have been the most frequent visitors to the International Space Station - Times of India - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Missing tomato recovered after being lost on the ISS for 8 months - Digital Trends - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA Terrified of Space Station Careening Out of Control and Crashing Into People - Futurism - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Cosmonauts on ISS spacewalk encounter toxic coolant 'blob' while inspecting leaky radiator - Space.com - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Unbelievable video demonstrating speed of the ISS is blowing people's minds - UNILAD - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Putin Approves Development Of Russian Space Station - Aviation Week - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- NASA's SpaceX CRS-29 Mission Flies Research to the Space Station - NASA - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Progress Continues Toward NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test to Station - NASA - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Mind-blowing animation shows the speed of the International Space ... - UNILAD - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- China sends 29 biological samples to its space station onboard ... - CGTN - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- How To Solve All Herta Space Station Puzzles In Aetherium Wars Of ... - TheGamer - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Honkai Star Rail: The Complete Story of Herta Space Station ... - TheGamer - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Sun breaks out with highest number of sunspots since in more than ... - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Is there an 'up' and a 'down' in space? - Livescience.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- The top 10 Ariane 5 rocket launches of all time - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- SpaceX rocket launches Euclid space telescope to map the 'dark ... - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- NASAs ChatGPT-like AI will let spaceships talk to astronauts - Freethink - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Space Force is redefining outer space as a theater of war - The Washington Post - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- FEATURE: How the Satellite Applications Catapult replicates space ... - Professional Engineering - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Artemis 2 astronaut Jeremy Hansen says a Canadian will walk on ... - Space.com - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- EU should take lead on cleaning up environment in space - EUobserver - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]
- Blue Origin looks to expand beyond US with international launch site - Financial Times - July 4th, 2023 [July 4th, 2023]