A small oven developed by Zero G Kitchen and NanoRacks will enable astronauts aboard the International Space Station to bake fresh cookies.
Zero G Ktichen was founded in 2018 with the aim to make long-term space travel more hospitable by developing “an open platform for food development in space”, essentially a kitchen in space.
“Opening up the frontier of space to all means making it relatable to people’s everyday lives,” said Zero G Kitchen co-founder, Jordana Fichtenbaum. “What could be more relatable than a freshly cooked meal in your own kitchen?”
In November 2018, the company announced that it had developed its first appliance, a small oven designed to prepare small items like rolls and cookies. The oven was developed in partnership with NanoRacks, an industry stalwart known for developing products and services for the commercial utilization of space.
“People have to eat when living and working in space, so Zero G Kitchen’s vision for hospitality and food preparation in space fits perfectly into NanoRacks’ long-term goal of populating the solar system,” said Jeffrey Manber, founder and CEO of NanoRacks.
In addition to NanoRacks, Zero G Ktichen has also partnered with the DoubleTree by Hilton hospitality chain. DoubleTree will supply a batch of “specially prepared” cookie dough that will be launched along with the oven.
It is as yet unclear when or on which spacecraft the Zero G Kitchen oven will be launched. However, in a November 15 press release, the company confirmed the launch was expected in “early 2019.” As a result, the oven will likely be launched aboard the SpaceX CRS-18 Dragon spacecraft which is currently scheduled to lift off on July 21.
