The Chinese astronauts on the Shenzhou XXI mission staged an unprecedented moment in the history of space exploration: the first barbecue held in space. Aboard the Chinese space station, the crew used a hot air oven for the first time to prepare chicken wings and steaks, as if they were in a real terrestrial gathering… only in zero gravity.
In a video released by the mission, flight engineer Wu Fei appears removing marinated wings from a package, carefully placing them on a grill before inserting them into the oven. About 28 minutes later, the result was surprising: appetizing “New Orleans” chicken wings, prepared in space.
The culinary experience didn’t stop there. Wang Jie, an astronaut from the previous mission, joined Wu Fei to prepare steaks in black pepper sauce, made with high-quality meat from Inner Mongolia. The meals were then shared among the six crew members, who showed great enthusiasm as they tasted a true cosmic feast.
