Two astronauts face a not-so-merry Christmas after being told to ration their food and hope a cargo ship with extra supplies docks on Dec. 21. The crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) only has enough supplies to last a month and must wait until the day after Western Christmas for a Russian cargo ship to deliver new supplies, space officials said on Friday.
Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao have been asked to cut out calories equal to three cans of Coke from their daily diet--around 10 percent of their daily allowance and an amount that would be little noticed, NASA said.
Russian officials, quoted in the local media, have accused the previous crew of overeating during their one-month mission earlier this year, leaving a deficit of meat and milk and a surplus of juice and confectionery (糖果).
The Dec. 24 launch of the next Progress is now vital for the crew, stationed in orbit since October. It is due to dock with the ISS on Dec. 21.
NASA officials said their situation was not so different from being cut off on Earth, and their lives were not at risk.
"If you get snowed in, you’re going to make do," said Jim Newman, director of NASA’s Human Space Flight Program in Russia, who said the shortage pointed to the need for a better food inventory system rather than greedy astronauts.
"If it launches as planned, they will have a very nice holiday season," he added.
If they do not receive fresh supplies, the astronauts would have to evacuate the station and return to Earth on the Soyuz capsule that is docked there.
"If the Progress is unable to arrive, there is a plan we can put into place for an orderly and safe return," said Newman.
Russia has been the sole lifeline to the ISS for almost two years when the United States grounded its shuttle fleet after the fatal Columbia accident.
Russia has often complained of its financial struggle to keep the ISS fully serviced single-handedly. Shuttle flights could resume in May, officials have said, but in the meantime Russia will continue to launch all manned and cargo ships.
According to Russian officials, a deficit of meat and milk was due to ______.