(28 May 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sofia, Bulgaria – 27 May 2025
1. Worker removes trays with cooked food from Vacuum Freeze Drying machine, as seen through round window
2. Various of worker handling trays
3. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Nelly Simeonova, co-founder and CEO of ANTARTA:
"We made the decision to begin producing space food, as there are currently no other companies in the world offering exactly what we do. While some businesses produce freeze-dried food — similar in format to ours — our products stand out due to the specialized expertise and extensive experience of the Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technology. We work in close partnership with the institute on joint projects, and their scientific know-how plays a key role in the development and quality of our space food."
4. Various of worker loading packaging machine with cooked freeze-dried moussaka
5. Various of packed cosmic food in the Antarta company office
6. Worker opens freeze-dried food machine
7. Worker prepares cooked food to be processed in the machine
8. Worker putting a tray with cooked food in the vacuum freeze drying machine
9. Close of worker’s hand adjusting machine
10. Various of Antarta CEO Nelly Simeonova demonstrates preparing a dish with dried cooked food
11.Wide of Simeonova in kitchen
12. Simeonova checks the vacuum freeze drying machines
13. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Nelly Simeonova, co-founder and CEO of ANTARTA:
"We are currently in discussions with suppliers of space food for the International Space Station and are hopeful that our products will soon receive approval. Our goal is to see Bulgarian-made space food launched into orbit and contributing to missions beyond Earth."
14. Various of chef Alexander Iliev working in the kitchen
15. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Prof. Dr. Iliana Nacheva, Director of the Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technologies at the Agricultural Academy:
"The technology we use is freeze-drying, a process based on the principle of sublimation. In this method, moisture is removed from frozen products under vacuum by transforming ice crystals directly into vapor, bypassing the liquid phase. This technique preserves the original shape and structure of the product, extracting only the moisture while retaining all valuable components—such as vitamins, minerals, hormones, and even living microorganisms."
16. Lyophilizer of the Antarta company production
17. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Prof. Dr. Iliana Nacheva, Director of the Institute of Cryobiology and Food Technologies at the Agricultural Academy:
"It is crucial that this technology ensures particularly long-lasting product storage. The drying process results in products with a very low and evenly distributed moisture content of just 2–5%. This low humidity, combined with appropriate packaging, allows the products to be stored for up to 5—and in some cases, even up to 10—years, without the need for any special conditions beyond normal room temperature."
18. Workers prepare trays for vacuum cooked food drying
19. Various of workers measure and place food in even layer in a tray
20. SOUNDBITE (Bulgarian) Nelly Simeonova, co-founder and CEO of ANTARTA:
"It is our patriotic mission to restore Bulgaria’s place as a producer of space food — a field in which our country once had a strong presence but that has long been forgotten. We are committed to reviving this legacy and aim to see Bulgaria once again take a respected and leading position in the production of food for space missions."
21. Worker pressing packaging machine controls
22. Packaging seen in the machine
23. Food packages seen on production line
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