The Polish astronaut, who will be conducting over a dozen technological and scientific experiments during the Ignis mission, met an unexpected challenge with his beloved pierogi.

“The first batches kept bursting! It was not only about cooking the food, it was also the technological process behind. It took us a while to master freeze-drying, to remove moisture from the stuffing through the dough and to dispose of the water left after rehydration,” he admits.

Freeze-drying is a long process that completely removes any water from the food, maintaining its properties and structure for years.