Chinese astronauts roast chicken in Tiangong: first orbital barbecue

For the first time, a team of Chinese astronauts He prepared and ate roast chicken in space. Aboard the station Tiangong, members of the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 missions They had a barbecue with chicken wings and beef steaks, an everyday gesture on Earth that in orbit becomes a habitability milestone.

The scene, recorded at about 400 km highIt shows how the pieces are cooked in an oven designed for microgravity. The device takes 28 minutes at 180 °C and use a cage-like grid so the food doesn't float away, an ingenious solution that prioritizes the safety and cleanliness of the environment.

How to cook chicken in microgravity

In the absence of natural convection, the Tiangong furnace resorts to controlled heating and guided circulation for even browning. The food is placed in a closed tray with a metal frame, which prevents the wings and juices from escaping. disperse through the cabin.

The team She cooked chicken wings first. and then, hydrated beef steaksThe unit is integrated into the station wall, operates without overloading the electrical system, and offers a baking process without smoke, key to not compromising the sensors and fire safety protocols.

According to those in charge of the program, the The oven is certified for up to 500 cyclesIt maintains stable temperature and pressure conditions throughout the process and facilitates quick cleaning. something essential in a closed habitat like Tiangong.

Wellbeing and life on board: more than a luxury

Beyond the technical feat, cooking in orbit has a human dimension: It helps the crew stay psychologically connected to Earth's routine.On six-month missions, add hot dishes and family-style meals. It can make a real difference to your mood on a daily basis..

This line It fits with the ongoing habitability tests: from exercises like Tai chi in microgravity until small crops and cultural activitiesEverything adds up to assess how leisure and good food influence performance and coexistence in extreme environments.

What distinguishes it from previous attempts?

Unlike isolated experiments at other stations, here the oven remains permanently installedIn 2019, cookies were baked in microgravity at another orbital complex, but they weren't eaten there. At Tiangong, however, astronauts have cooked and tasted meat in the space laboratory itself.

The result has been a homogeneous golden color and a texture that, according to the crew, preserves the aroma and flavor despite the limitations of microgravity. All this without affecting the station's common systems, an aspect critical for security.

Safety, energy and process control

The device is optimized for Tiangong's power grid and minimizes consumption spikes, which is vital in a station with measured resourcesFume management and particle containment reduce risks and allow cooking without triggering alarms, maintaining the cleanroom.

The caged structure, the closed trays, and the defined times—like the 28 minutes per batch of wings—make the process repeatable and compatible with work protocols. Thus, the kitchen goes from being a curiosity to a operational tool of the mission.

A viral moment and a tight schedule

The images went viral on social media and video platforms, where users from all over the world commented on the first Space BBQThe anecdote serves as a symbol: even hundreds of kilometers from Earth, there is room for them. little pleasures.

Meanwhile, crew rotation continues: Six astronauts were on board during the changeover between Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21and additional risk checks were scheduled orbital debris before the return of one of the crewsThe mission maintains a schedule of science, maintenance, and habitability testing for half a year.

Europe is watching the progress of these onboard living capabilities with interest, as cooking safely and efficiently in orbit provides useful lessons for future commercial stations and extended stays with international participation, including those of the THAT.

The barbecue at Tiangong fits into a clear trend: bringing everyday life into space with practical, safe and reproducible solutions. Cooking chicken and beef in microgravity is not just a curiosityIt is a tangible step towards longer, more comfortable missions and sustainable.