This chef is going to cook dinner for... outer space
Even at an altitude of 400 km, French cuisine makes no compromises: Sophie Adenot will sample dishes prepared by a four-toque chef in orbit.
When French haute cuisine takes off into space... On July 1, 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced an unprecedented partnership. French chef Anne-Sophie Pic worked with astronaut Sophie Adenot to develop recipes adapted to space conditions.
Due to weightlessness, the dishes must not be too light or crumbly, and they must have a shelf life of at least two years. As for fresh fruits and vegetables, they “ are a luxury,” according to the ESA. They “ are only available when a spacecraft arrives with new supplies.”
The food will be packaged by Servair, a French company specializing in airline catering. Each recipe will be placed in a sterilized flexible pouch to preserve flavor over the long term. These “bonus” meals are recipes added to a predefined list of options provided by the agencies. They generally meet the astronauts’ requirements and tastes.
Onion soup and chocolate cream
On the menu, Chef Pic will offer four appetizers, two main courses, and two desserts. The ESA lists the following appetizers: foie gras cream with toasted brioche and candied lemon; lobster bisque with crab and caraway; a velvety parsnip soup with curry and haddock, and an onion soup with pink peppercorns and gratinated croutons. The main courses consist of pulled beef braised with black garlic and smoked vanilla, and poultry with Voatsiperifery pepper, tonka bean, and creamy polenta with Comté cheese. Finally, for dessert, astronauts can enjoy coconut and smoked vanilla rice pudding and a chocolate cream with cazette flower and coffee.
Usually, space menus consist of freeze-dried meals to be rehydrated with water or canned foods. But the so-called “bonus” dishes are often created in collaboration with top chefs. Back in 2021, Thomas Pesquet gave the public a peek into his pantry. On the menu: pulled chicken, beef with mushrooms, and Scottish salmon… created by Alain Ducasse.
A Menu for 2026
Astronaut Sophie Adenot will launch in the spring of 2026 toward the International Space Station (ISS) for the “Epsilon” mission. Nearly 25 years after Claudie Haigneré, she will be the second French woman to go into space. “During a mission, sharing our respective dishes is a way to invite our crewmates to learn more about our culture. It’s a very powerful moment of camaraderie for all of us , ” explains the astronaut in a press release shared by the ESA. Together with Anne-Sophie Pic, “ we’ve decided to work together to honor French cuisine.”
