The smell of freshly baked cookies could soon be wafting through the International Space Station.
As humans travel further into the universe, the ability to cook food in space will become more important, a former Nasa astronaut has said.
With journeys into the unknown set to become longer, it will be more difficult to re-supply missions and carry everything on board.
But very soon the smell of freshly baked cookies could be wafting through the International Space Station.
A prototype oven with the ingredients needed to bake DoubleTree by Hilton’s signature cookie is destined to make its way to the crew.
If the mission succeeds, the chocolate chip confections will be the first food baked in space, Hilton says.
Mike Massimino, who was the first astronaut to tweet from space, explained the importance of the endeavour.
Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: “Right now we are at the Space Station more or less, and I think soon we will be travelling back to the Moon – to settle this time, not just to visit – or maybe onwards to Mars.
“As we journey further away it is going to be harder to re-supply, and food, for example, is one of the most important things.
“And therefore being able to prepare your own food, cook your own food – we have never been able to cook food from raw ingredients before, this is a first – will be important.”
But Mr Massimino said the feat would be about much more than just sustenance.
He told PA: “Part of it is the psychological effect of food, and I didn’t really appreciate this until I became an astronaut.
“When you think about sharing a meal with other people, your family, your friends, and what you are going to eat, it is comfort food, it reminds you of home.
“I think that it is going to be good for morale.
“And I think that will definitely be good on the Space Station and maybe more so on longer journeys into space that we will hopefully be making in the future.”
However, he added that it was not known how the cookie would react in space – whether it would be puffy, whether it would fall apart, or whether it would be the same as on Earth.
And, as might be expected of something cooked in space, it is thought the cookie will have a somewhat alien appearance, taking on a cylindrical form.
It is not known yet whether the astronauts on board the International Space Station will be able to eat the baked treats.
“If we are going to be able to go places and stay for a while, we can’t bring everything with us and re-supply as quickly as you like.
“So I think growing food and cooking food is going to be really important,” said Mr Massimino.
The cookies will be baked in an oven built by NanoRacks in partnership with Zero G Kitchen, which creates appliances for microgravity use in long duration space flights.
Which spacecraft will launch the oven, or when, has not yet been specified, but those involved are working towards the NG-12 mission scheduled for this autumn.
“Hilton has long been an industry innovator and, as we celebrate our 100th year, we’re excited to send our hospitality into orbit,” said DoubleTree by Hilton global brand head Shawn McAteer.
Ian and Jordana Fichtenbaum are the husband and wife team at Zero G Kitchen responsible for the space oven concept.
Mr Fichtenbaum said: “Opening up the frontier of space means making it relatable to people’s everyday lives, and what could be more relatable than a freshly baked cookie?”
In a typical convection oven on Earth, there is a continuous cycle of hot air rising and cool air moving in to replace it, setting up a constant flow of air in the oven that allows for even cooking.
However, in the microgravity environment of space so there is no “up” direction for the hot air to float towards.
This means you can only depend on heat being conducted through the air.
Bearing this in mind, NanoRacks designed the space oven with heating elements around the entire interior to distribute heat evenly and develop a pocket of air in the cooking chamber.
This will allow the oven to reach cooking temperatures while using far less power than a conventional oven does on Earth.
HOUSTON (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a 9-year-old girl when he was robbed at a Houston ATM in 2022 has been indicted on a murder charge in her death.
Tuesday’s indictment against Tony Earls comes nearly two years after another grand jury declined to indict him in the death of Arlene Alvarez.
Gwen Alvarez, the girl’s mother, said the indictment brought her family some relief, knowing it is the “first step of receiving justice for my daughter.”
“Hopefully we inspire other families to never give up on their loved ones. It’s horrible and it’s a big nightmare what we go through. … We’re living day by day,” a tearful Gwen Alvarez said during a news conference.
Authorities said Wednesday an arrest warrant has been issued for Earls, who has been a fugitive for about a year now on an unrelated assault charge. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest, said Andy Kahan, director of victim services at Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Earls’ previous attorneys had said their client was not a “monster” but a family man who was devastated by Arlene’s death. They said Earls was not reckless in his actions and was only protecting his family.
Earls and his wife were at an ATM to withdraw money on Feb. 14, 2022, when an unidentified robber pulled a gun on them and fled after taking $20, along with a check and their car keys, according to prosecutors.
Earls’ attorneys said after their client got out of his car, the robber fired and Earls fired back in self-defense. Investigators say Earls fired at a truck thinking the robbery suspect had possibly climbed into it.
But the vehicle was actually carrying Arlene and her family as they went to the ATM to make a deposit before heading to a late dinner at a pizzeria. The girl was shot in the head and later died at a hospital.
Earls was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, serious bodily injury. But a grand jury in July 2022 declined to indict him on that charge or several others, including manslaughter and murder. The man who robbed Earls has never been caught.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said that earlier this year she assigned a special prosecutor, Warren Diepraam, to re-examine the case. Diepraam said an FBI firearms expert was brought in to review evidence.
Diepraam said he couldn't discuss the evidence presented to the grand jury. But his investigation, which was assisted by Houston police and attorneys for the Alvarez family, found that Earls had a clear view of the Alvarez family's truck and there was nothing to indicate it was connected to the robber.
"The conclusion that I reached was that if you’re going to discharge a weapon into a car ... you better make sure that you’re 100% correct because there are no second chances to bring back an innocent life," Diepraam said.
Shooting recklessly into a vehicle or a location voids any claims of self-defense or defense of property under Texas law, he said.
Ogg praised Arlene's family for their patience and efforts in the case.
“They could have been bitter. They could have done nothing. Instead, they directed all their energy toward achieving justice for Arlene. And that’s our goal. ... They will get their day in court," Ogg said.
If convicted, Earls could be sentenced to up to life in prison.
Follow Juan A. Lozano on X: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
FILE - Wendy Alvarez, mother of Arlene Alvarez, 9, who died after being shot in February of this year, listens during a press conference, Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at Crime Stoppers in Houston. Tony Earls, accused of fatally shooting a 9-year-old girl when he was robbed at a Houston ATM in 2022, has been indicted Tuesday, April 23, 2024, for murder in her death. The indictment comes nearly two years after another grand jury had declined to indict him in the death of Alvarez. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP)
FILE - Tony D. Earls is escorted from the Harris County 263rd District Criminal Court Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Houston. Earls, who is accused of fatally shooting a 9-year-old girl when he was robbed at a Houston ATM in 2022, has been indicted Tuesday, April 23, 2024, for murder in her death. The indictment comes nearly two years after another grand jury had declined to indict him in the death of Arlene Alvarez. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)
FILE - Arlene Alvarez's parents, Gwen Alvarez and Armando Alvarez are seen during a news conference with their attorney, Rick Ramos, right, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Tony Earls, who is accused of fatally shooting a 9-year-old girl when he was robbed at a Houston ATM in 2022 has been indicted Tuesday, April 23, 2024, for murder in her death. The indictment against Earls comes nearly two years after another grand jury had declined to indict him in the death of Alvarez. (AP Photo/Juan A. Lozano, File)
