NASA space sushi on the ISS draws mixed reactions as space kitchen posts go viral

NASA on Thursday released a photo of 'sushi' prepared by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The image, posted to Instagram, drew a split response from social media, with some commenters calling the meal 'fancy prison food' while others joked that space dining deserves a higher score.

NASA notes that food in orbit must be loaded from Earth and prepared to be shelf-stable and mess-free. The agency said this does not mean meals are dull—crews eat dishes from around the world, space-friendly pizzas made with tortillas, and finger foods similar to what appears in the photo.

The ISS photo showcases two items: space sushi and a shrimp cocktail. The sushi consists of segments of seaweed paper topped with blobs of rice and a slab of tuna or Spam, held in place by the surface tension of the moisture. The shrimp cocktail is built on a whole-grain cracker with a shrimp topping that appears orange, presumably due to the sauce or seasoning. NASA explained that the sushi stays put thanks to surface tension.

In a separate post, NASA references a prior image of a 'cheeseburger' floating in zero gravity by astronaut Jonny Kim, which drew similar reactions. The five-ingredient sandwich used a wheat snack bread bun, a beef patty, and congealed cheese spread, with condiments helping to keep components in place.

The post comes as the International Space Station remains a central hub for research. The ISS is a $100 billion science and engineering laboratory that orbits roughly 250 miles (about 400 kilometers) above Earth and has been permanently staffed since November 2000. It has hosted crews from the United States, Russia, Japan, and Europe, and has welcomed 244 individuals from 19 countries, eight of them private citizens who paid as much as $50 million for a visit. NASA's annual station budget runs about $3 billion, with international partners contributing the remainder.

Looking ahead, plans for the station's future extend well beyond 2025. Russia aims to launch its own orbital platform around that time, while private firms like Axiom Space plan to add commercial modules. NASA, ESA, JAXA, and the Canadian Space Agency are collaborating to build a station in lunar orbit, and Russia and China are pursuing a separate, surface-involved project. The ISS's long-term fate remains a topic of debate, as agencies weigh how best to sustain a crewed presence in low Earth orbit and beyond.