Six researchers, who spent the past four months living in a small dome, trying to figure out what food astronauts might eat on Mars and during deep-space missions, have emerged, according to ABC News.
The researchers emerged Tuesday, with their recipes, after voluntarily residing on a barren Hawaii lava field at an elevation of 8,000 feet.
"It's a moment I'm going to remember for the rest of my life," said Oleg Abramov, a research space scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology branch in Flagstaff, Ariz. "Walking out ... experiencing the sunshine and wind on our faces."
The researchers reappeared without the space suits they were required to wear each time they ventured onto the northern slope of Mauna Loa, an active volcano that last erupted in 1984.
According to ABC News, the six researchers were selected by the University of Hawaii and Cornell University for the NASA-funded study. They were asked to prepare meals from a list of dehydrated, preserved foods that are not perishable.
Pre-prepared meals similar to what astronauts currently eat were examined. The researchers batched up meals themselves in an attempt to combat malnourishment and food boredom.
According to team Commander Angelo Vermeulen, the problem with ingredients that are not perishable is they are usually highly processed and often times lack fiber. Vermeulen said comfort food is important for the future space missions.
One item craved among the crew was Nutella, the chocolate-hazelnut spread.
"It's something we craved," Vermeulen said. "We had a limited supply so we had to ration it."
Vermeulen said he was also impressed with how freeze dried products taste very similar to fresh produce. Members of the crew cooked in a two-story dome with small sleeping quarters, an exercise room and a kitchen.
The study, named Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, included an open call for recipes that involved a lot of Spam, ABC News reported. The researchers prepared several dishes using Spam, including a Cajun jambalaya and a fried rice noodle dish
According to Kim Binsted, a UH-Manoa associate professor, the canned meat, is popular in Hawaii households because of its shelf life. Binsted, who was also an investigator on the study but did not live in the habit, said Hawaii's temperate weather and Mauna Loa's geological features were a perfect setting for the study.
"It looks like Mars," she said.
The area is isolated, yet accessible, and has no visible plant or animal life.
After emerging from the dome researchers are required to spend several days debriefing, ABC News reported. According to Binsted, the members might be disoriented from their experience. Binsted said they have requested a beach outing before returning to their regular lives.
"I'm not used to large crowds anymore," Vermeulen told ABCnews. "We need to get used to people again."
Upon emerging one of the first things researchers did was have a buffet breakfast.
"They went straight to the fruits and vegetables," Binsted said. "They seemed delighted to have fresh fruits and vegetables."
According to ABC News, after all the information and research has been processed, Binsted hopes it will be presented at the International Astronautical Congress later this year in Beijing.
