UberEats’ food can officially be described as out of this world after the firm announced on Monday that it had sent a food order to the International Space Station (ISS).
The company teamed up with Yusaka Maeawa, the Japanese entrepreneur who traveled to the ISS last week, to hand deliver canned Japanese dishes to the astronauts aboard the ship.
The delivery was made on December 11 at 9:40am ET having traveled 248 miles and eight hours and 34 minutes since Maezawa’s departure from Earth.
The dishes include boiled mackerel in miso, beef bowl cooked in sweet sauce, simmered chicken with bamboo shoots and braised pork.
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UberEats teamed up with Yusaka Maeawa (left), the Japanese entrepreneur who launched to the ISS last week, to hand deliver canned Japanese dishes to the astronauts aboard the ship
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, said in a statement: ‘One small handoff for Yusaku Maezawa, one giant delivery for Uber Eats!
‘We’re over the moon to have helped make our first successful delivery to space. Our goal is to help people go anywhere and get anything, so we’re proud to serve the astronauts at the International Space Station.
‘Yusaku Maezawa gets a thumbs up on this delivery, even though it took a bit longer than the usual 30 minutes to arrive.’
Maezawa, along with his assistant and film producer Yozo Hirano, took off to the ISS on December 11 at 2:30am ET from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The delivery was made on December 11 at 9:40am ET having traveled 248 miles and eight hours and 34 minutes since Maezawa’s departure from Earth
The dishes include boiled mackerel in miso, beef bowl cooked in sweet sauce, simmered chicken with bamboo shoots and braised pork
The pair will spend 12 days aboard the giant orbiting laboratory.
On Monday, Maezawa spoke with The Associate Press from the ISS and rejected criticism from those who questioned his decision to pay a fortune for a trip to the International Space Station, saying the ‘amazing’ experience was worth it.
Maezawa said even though he had imagined what his mission would be like before the flight, he was struck by the reality of space travel.
‘Once you are in space, you realize how much it is worth it by having this amazing experience,’ he told the AP in the first TV interview since he arrived at the station. ‘And I believe that this amazing experience will lead to something else.’
Maezawa, 46, and his 36-year-old producer Yozo Hirano are the first self-paying tourists to visit the space station since 2009. Asked about reports claiming that he paid over $80 million for a 12-day mission, Maezawa said he couldn´t disclose the contract sum but admitted that he paid ‘pretty much’ that amount.
Maezawa deflected the criticism from those who questioned his decision to spend money on his space travel instead of using it to help people back on Earth, saying that ‘those who criticize are perhaps those who have never been to space.’
‘The most memorable moments were when I saw the International Space Station from Soyuz just before the docking and when we entered after the docking,’ he said.
Maezawa, along with his assistant and film producer Yozo Hirano, took off to the ISS on December 11 at 2:30am ET from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
He admitted that space tourism is mostly for the super-rich now, but added that those who embark on space travel must be prepared for other challenges.
‘Yes, it is still rather expensive, but it is not only about money,’ he told the AP. ‘It takes time for your body to adjust in this environment and the training for emergencies takes at least a few months. So, honestly speaking, it is only accessible for those who have time and are physically fit and those who can afford it. But we don´t know if that is still going to be the case in 10 years, 20 years´ time.’
Maezawa told the AP he felt ‘a little bit of motion sickness’ and it was ‘a little bit difficult to sleep,’ adding that future space tourists need to be aware of the need to spend up to five days to adapt to motion sickness in space.
On Monday, Maezawa spoke with The Associate Press from the ISS and rejected criticism from those who questioned his decision to pay a fortune for a trip to the International Space Station, saying the ‘amazing’ experience was worth it
He acknowledged that taking a nap still presents a challenge.
‘I am not sleeping well, to be honest. A sleeping bag has been provided but it is too hot so I am not using it,’ he said.
He was happy with the length of his trip.
‘Twelve days was about right for me,’ Maezawa added. ‘I am getting over the motion sickness so I can enjoy the remaining days. I am returning on the 20th and starting to miss Japan. Once I return, I want to have sushi!’
Maezawa and Hirano, who was filming his mission, blasted off for the International Space Station on Wednesday in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.