Learn about the handy device NASA is developing to help astronauts rehydrate their meals aboard the Gateway Lunar Space Station during the ambitious Artemis IV mission.
A prototype of the Mini Potable Water Dispenser, currently in development at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is displayed alongside various food pouches during a demonstration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
NASA/David DeHoyos
NASA engineers are working hard to ensure no astronaut goes hungry on the Artemis IV mission.
When international teams of astronauts live on Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon, they’ll need innovative gadgets like the Mini Potable Water Dispenser. Vaguely resembling a toy water soaker, it manually dispenses water for hygiene bags, to rehydrate food, or simply to drink. It is designed to be compact, lightweight, portable and manual, making it ideal for Gateway’s relatively small size and remote location compared to the International Space Station closer to Earth.
The team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama leading the development of the dispenser understands that when it comes to deep space cuisine, the food astronauts eat is so much more than just fuel to keep them alive.
“Food doesn’t just provide body nourishment but also soul nourishment,” said Shaun Glasgow, project manager at Marshall. “So ultimately this device will help provide that little piece of soul nourishment. After a long day, the crew can float back and enjoy some pasta or scrambled eggs, a small sense of normalcy in a place far from home.”
As NASA continues to innovate and push the boundaries of deep space exploration, devices like the compact, lightweight dispenser demonstrate a blend of practicality and ingenuity that will help humanity chart its path to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Brett Montoya, a lead space architect in the Center for Design and Space Architecture at Johnson Space Center, rehydrates a package of food using the Mini Potable Water Dispenser.NASA/David DeHoyosAn engineer demonstrates the use of the Mini Potable Water Dispenser by rehydrating a food pouch during a testing session at Johnson Space Center on June 6, 2024. This compact, lightweight dispenser is designed to help astronauts prepare meals in deep space.NASA/David DeHoyosA close-up view of the Mini Potable Water Dispenser prototype during a testing demonstration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on June 6, 2024.NASA/David DeHoyosNASA food scientists rehydrate a food pouch during a test of the Mini Potable Water Dispenser at Johnson Space Center on June 6, 2024.NASA/David DeHoyosA NASA food scientist captures video of the Mini Potable Water Dispenser during testing at Johnson Space Center.NASA/David DeHoyosMatt Rowell, an engineer from the Marshall Space Flight Center demonstrates the Mini Potable Water Dispenser to NASA food scientists during a testing session.NASA/David DeHoyosProject manager Shaun Glasgow (right) demonstrates the Mini Potable Water Dispenser.NASA/David DeHoyosBrett Montoya, a lead space architect in the Center for Design and Space Architecture at Johnson Space Center, rehydrates a package of food using the Mini Potable Water Dispenser.NASA/David DeHoyos
I am the owner of Cerebral-overload.com and the Verizon Wireless Reviewer for Techburgh.com. My love of gadgets came from his lack of a Nintendo Game Boy when he was a child . I vowed from that day on to get his hands on as many tech products as possible. My approach to a review is to make it informative for the technofile while still making it understandable to everyone. Ben is a new voice in the tech industry and is looking to make a mark wherever he goes. When not reviewing products, I is also a 911 Telecommunicator just outside of Pittsburgh PA.
I am the owner of Cerebral-overload.com and the Verizon Wireless Reviewer for Techburgh.com. My love of gadgets came from his lack of a Nintendo Game Boy when he was a child . I vowed from that day on to get his hands on as many tech products as possible. My approach to a review is to make it informative for the technofile while still making it understandable to everyone. Ben is a new voice in the tech industry and is looking to make a mark wherever he goes. When not reviewing products, I is also a 911 Telecommunicator just outside of Pittsburgh PA.
Twitter: @gizmoboaks
