In space, the sense of taste deteriorates - that's why the astronauts like to eat spicy food

As part of a live connection event to the International Space Station initiated by the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science that took place today, students from the Hebrew University asked Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano questions live. Parmitano has been staying on the International Space Station for almost six months and is conducting about 20 scientific experiments there.

As part of a live connection event to the International Space Station initiated by the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science that took place today, students from the Hebrew University asked Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano questions live. Parmitano has been staying on the International Space Station for almost six months and is conducting about 20 scientific experiments there.

The astronaut addressed Israel with a "peace" and answered a question from an Israeli student who asked how the five senses change in space. Parmitano replied that due to a change in liquids, the sense of taste changes, so some astronauts on the station like more spicy food. He added that sight is the sense that changes most sharply due to pressure changes on the space station. The lack of gravity has an effect on the pressure that changes the shape of the eye.

Another Israeli student's question was what was the biggest challenge you experienced while in space and the astronaut answered "I like challenges, so sometimes I don't see them as a problem but as something cool that I want to do. The things that give us the most satisfaction are the most challenging. The training I went through to become an astronaut and fit for launch to the station was the most challenging and took about two years."

Parmitano ended the broadcast by saying: "You students are the future."

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• CEO of the Space Agency Menachem Kidron: International collaborations enable leveraging of the Israeli space industries
• Israeli integration in space: Eros B photographed Amos 4 on the launch pad (gallery)

The European Space Agency named its spacecraft after Albert Einstein. The vehicle recently arrived at the International Space Station with copies of Albert Einstein's documents provided by the Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University. The copies will be signed by the Italian astronaut Parmitano and returned to Earth.