Abstract
Construction has been progressing on the International Space Station (ISS), a joint project of 15 nations including Japan that is orbiting 400km above the Earth. This “laboratory” will remain in space for many years. Its users seek to utilize the potential of space, such as developing new medicine or materials that can only be produced in a microgravity environment. These goals are being achieved through cooperation that transcends national boundaries and ethnic groups. Astronauts/cosmonauts from different countries have been working on the assembly of the ISS. Optical human performance during space exploration is dependent on optical nutritional status, as nutrition affects the maintenance of all medical and physiologic systems, such as cardiovascular system, bone metabolism, neurovestibular system, skeletal muscle function and immune response. Major accomplishments in nutritional sciences for support of human space flight have occurred over the past 40 years. Estimates of daily nutritional requirements for ISS missions are determined by the nutrition working group of the multilateral medical operations panel. ISS space food is currently produced and provided by NASA and RSA. JAXA is trying to develop “Japanese space food, ” making good use of Japanese excellent technology in food science and the nutritional advantages of traditional Japanese food, in hopes of contributing to the ISS program.
