Astronauts Could Soon Be Eating Burger King in Space

Could Russian astronauts soon be enjoying zero-gravity Whoppers? According to the Associated Press, "the Russian research institute responsible for designing meals for the country's cosmonauts" says it's considering adding cheeseburgers to its outer space menu following a suggestion from Burger King Russia.

Eating in space can be awfully unwieldy, which is why foods are often served in dehydrated form (see: astronaut ice cream). Said burgers would reportedly be served "in tubes," though it's not quite clear how that would work — a squeeze tube of burger-and-cheese-flavored paste? A meaty push-up pop?

The person in charge of catering for the International Space Station (cool job alert) says he's against the idea, pointing out that fast food burgers are "not customary for [his] country." AP notes that "while a variety of ethnic and fast foods ranging from hamburgers to chicken teriyaki are currently available on menus for American astronauts, the menu for Russian cosmonauts has generally featured more traditional fare such as borscht, cottage cheese and caviar."

At least astronauts at the International Space Station can drink decent coffee these days, thanks to a recently installed space-friendly espresso machine. They've got Japanese whiskey up there, too, but sadly it's for aging, not drinking. Meanwhile, NASA is also testing hardware to grow lettuce in space, which could make a nice side salad for those potential space burgers.