NASA wants space-food tasters for hypothetical Mars mission

For every wannabe astronaut foodie, this is the opportunity for you. Scientists are looking to plan the menu and culinary routine of astronauts on a hypothetical Mars mission.

NASA is seeking volunteers to participate in a 120-day study run by Cornell/University of Hawaii that will simulate living and working conditions on a long voyage or prolonged stay in space. The study will focus on a vital part of everyday living - the process of preparing and eating food — but under the extraordinary conditions of space travel.

A key area of interest is testing the palatability of instant foods versus prepared foods, which astronauts would cobble together from shelf stable ingredients.

Aside from tasting (and smelling) the food, the subjects will also be testing the efficiencies of the various cooking methods, working up tips and recipes, calculating nutrition requirements and even observing how food affects mood in confined environments.