Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
2-19-02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Katherine Carlson , NASA FTCSC, 515-296-5387, kecarlso@iastate.edu
Jay Staker, Iowa State University Extension youth initiative specialist,
515-294-5738, jstaker@iastate.edu,
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/e-set
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, 515-294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
NASA FTCSC Donates Space Food Trays to ISU Extension
Iowa children will soon glimpse what it is like to eat in space thanks to a donation by the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center (NASA FTCSC). The center recently donated sixteen space food kits to Iowa State University Extension offices.
Modeled after food trays used by NASA, the space food kits will educate students about space foods, food processing techniques and nutrition. Each kit contains a NASA FTCSC space food tray mock-up including foods donated by Johnson Space Center, two color posters explaining the food trays, a video about space foods and NASA's Space Food and Nutrition Educator's Guide.
Jay Staker, ISU Extension youth initiative specialist, believes the space food kits will be valuable for teaching students about science and technology in space. "I think the space food kits will be extremely popular for Iowa educators. They will be a powerful tool to help educators stimulate the imagination and cause students to look to the future."
Dr. Cheryll Reitmeier, NASA FTCSC education mission specialist, agrees. "Kids dream about being an astronaut and they love eating new foods," she says. "These food trays let kids see what astronauts eat in space and how eating in space is different than eating on earth. Space food can be a good introduction to food preservation, cooking and nutrition."
Reitmeier has created several lesson plans and activities to accompany the space food kits. These activities and other educational resources are available from the NASA FTCSC webpage http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/ftcsc/.
The space food kits are available for check out through local ISU Extension offices.
As one of seventeen commercial space centers funded by NASA, the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center was established in 1999 to develop foods and food-processing technologies that enhance space missions and advance commercial food products. Dr. Anthony Pometto III, professor of Food Science at Iowa State University, is Director of the Center.
-30-
ml: state
Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.