What does it take to become a space food scientist at NASA? We met up with Wu to learn more about her journey from creating meals for camping in the deep woods, to making foods for exploring deep space.<\/p>\n
![\"Xulei](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/hsp-support-at-ksc.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPreparation Meets Opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t consider myself very smart; I\u2019m very hardworking,\u201d said Wu, who was born and raised in China and is a first-generation immigrant.<\/p>\n After rising through the ranks at a major U.S. freeze-dried food company, Wu was content in her job creating shelf-stable foods for people to rely on when the tools and conveniences of a modern kitchen aren\u2019t available. Her work kept her busy \u2013 too busy to consider other careers or applications for her unique skillset.<\/p>\n It took a flat tire to literally stop her in her tracks long enough to spot a job opening that sparked a new direction for her career.<\/p>\n \u201cI got a nail in my tire, so I broke down on the highway,\u201d Wu said. While she was waiting for roadside assistance, she began to scroll through her phone. That\u2019s when, she said, \u201cI found out a freeze-dried food scientist position was opening at the NASA Space Food Systems Laboratory.\u201d<\/p>\n Even though Wu enjoyed working in the food industry, she said it was NASA\u2019s larger mission that inspired her to apply.<\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite part of this job is really to serve a large purpose, that I\u2019m part of the effort to support human space exploration, so that one day we can go back to the Moon,\u201d Wu said.<\/p>\n Choosing From a Menu of Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMy education and my experience definitely prepared me to land a job in the Space Food System Laboratory, and I consider myself extremely lucky,\u201d Wu said.<\/p>\n Growing up, Wu enjoyed science so much that when she had to choose a college major, she had a hard time narrowing her choices between biology, chemistry, and physics.<\/p>\n As she considered her options, reports of babies being sickened by infant formula gained national attention in China. Several formula companies were found to have deliberately contaminated their products with a chemical that gave the appearance of higher protein content but resulted in kidney problems for thousands of babies. The scandal piqued her interest in food safety.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the trigger,\u201d Wu said. \u201cI realized: I want to study more about food safety. And food science happened to involve multiple different disciplines in that process.\u201d<\/p>\n Wu earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in food science and engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, then a master\u2019s degree in food science and technology from Oregon State University.<\/p>\n After graduation, she went to work for North America\u2019s largest supplier of freeze-dried foods where she created food products targeted for outdoor recreation, like camping, and also for emergency preparedness. In this role, she worked on similar challenges to those she works on today: how to keep food fresh, tasty, nutritious, and shelf-stable for long periods of time.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of those are needed perspectives [for] working in the Space Food Systems Laboratory,\u201d Wu said. \u201cFor the International Space Station, we\u2019re targeting three years\u2019 shelf life; for a Mars mission, we\u2019re talking five to seven years\u2019 shelf life.\u201d<\/p>\n Advice to Future Food Scientists<\/strong><\/p>\n Wu shared some advice to students: focus on what you really care about, work hard, and be ready to take your own giant leap.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to discover your true interest, your true passion, the subject you love the most, and then connect this to a career making a contribution to society.\u201d<\/p>\n But as with Wu\u2019s experience, sometimes you get a nail in your tire on the path to your next big break. It\u2019s what you do in those moments that can define you.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/xulei-wu.jpg?w=2048\")
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