NASA-approved space menu now includes grilled chicken, chocolate pudding and tomato basil soup

At a time when space travel is no longer limited to astronauts but increasingly includes private tourists and international collaborations, the need for high-quality, nutritious, and palatable food has become more pressing than ever

Gone are the days of bland, utilitarian pouches filled with calorie-dense mush. In its place is a new generation of gourmet-style meals that not only prioritise nutrition and safety but also reflect the diverse culinary heritages of the astronauts themselves.
At the heart of this evolution is Professor Suresh Pillai, an Indian-origin American food scientist whose team has helped transform NASA’s culinary landscape. With the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), where Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become the first Indian astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS), this gastronomic transformation is making headlines not just for its innovation, but for the cultural pride it brings to the mission.

From DJ booth to NASA lab: Meet ‘Suresh Pillai’ the man behind the space menu
Known by night as DJ Deep Spin Prof at a Texas nightclub, Suresh Pillai by day is a globally respected microbiologist and food safety expert. As reported by the Economic Times, born in Golden Rock, Tamil Nadu, and raised by parents from Thrissur, Kerala, Pillai’s academic journey took him from Madras University to a PhD in microbiology and immunology at the University of Arizona.
Today, at age 63, he is not just spinning records but revolutionizing the way we think about eating in space.

His lab focuses on electron beam (eBeam) technology, a form of food sterilisation without heat, which he believes is critical to developing long-shelf-life meals for missions to Mars. Pillai's work also holds potential for solving food security challenges on Earth, especially in disaster-hit or remote areas where safe, shelf-stable food is essential. Through his dual identity as scientist and DJ, he bridges science and creativity in a truly unique way.