Russian Cosmonauts to Try Fermenting Milk on ISS to Prepare for Long Flights

Russian cosmonauts will try fermenting milk on the International Space Station (ISS) to produce dairy foods and beverages they hope will sustain space travelers during future long flights outside Earth's orbit, Fyodor Yurchikhin, who will fly to the ISS on Thursday, told reporters.

BAIKONUR COSMODROME (Kazakhstan), (Sputnik) — Probiotic products, such as kefir, a creamy drink made of cow’s milk and traditionally consumed in Russia, contains live bacteria that are believed to have favorable health effects.

"It’s not just about whether we can make kefir," Yurchikhin said. "These experiments will prepare us for future long-haul flights to other planets. Our ability to make food in space will lead to payload weight savings."

Russia’s Yurchikhin and NASA’s Jack Fischer have already arrived at the Baikonur space port in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz FG carrier rocket is on the launch pad and will blast off to the ISS on the Earth’s orbit at 10:14 a.m. Moscow time (07:14 GMT) on Thursday, along with a 154-pound payload of foodstuffs.