Space Burgers and Other Lessons from China’s Space Station

With the cosmic 2021 Beijing Burger Festival at Langyuan Station Track-Field just around the corner (it’s this Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, Sep 19-21!) we’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about burgers and space! And more specifically, if astronauts get to eat burgers in space! That’s led to a whole host of other questions though, like how do astronauts go to the bathroom in space? How do they exercise? Do they dream about space sheep? Luckily, the China Technology Museum recently chimed in to answer those questions (and many significantly more important ones) for China’s future scientists.

During the inaugural class at the Scientific Innovation Experience Base, hundreds of lucky students from Beijing were invited to meet Taikonaut Yang Liwei and watch a video of the three scientists currently manning China’s space station, Tianhe. Thousands more watched virtually as the program was beamed into 11 other science museums and more than 100 schools.

In a recorded message from space, each taikonaut gave the students an assignment: Research how a zero-gravity environment can affect lifeforms, design a model of what space stations might look like in 2049, and finally, try packaging some food for space.

While we can’t do their homework for them, Jingkids can’t think of a better opportunity for students to do their food prep research than at this year’s interstellar-themed 2021 Beijing Burger Festival, set to blast off from Langyuan Station Track-Field during Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, Sep 19-21! What orbiting scientist doesn’t need the brain food provided by a juicy beef patty on a sesame seed bun from last year’s Burger Cup winners, Side Street, or a pulled pork wonder from Homeplate BBQ? And for those taikonauts who want to reduce their carbon footprint and save the planet they call home, Beyond Meat will make sure there is plenty of protein-packed plant-based alternatives. Students of Beijing: your mission should you choose to accept it, vote for the burger most likely to fuel innovation, and then figure out how to keep it fresh as it hurtles through the atmosphere!

Meanwhile, if you love burgers, you’ve got to join your fellow lover lovers and share your passion for the world’s most beloved food.

If you encounter any problems joining the Beijing Burger Lovers group, add the TBJ Butler on WeChat and ask for assistance. We’ll be sharing news and updates from this weekend’s Burger Fest so be sure to stay tuned!

Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets for the truly out-of-this-world 2021 Beijing Burger Festival at Langyuan Station Track-Field, this Mid-Autumn Festival weekend, Sep 19-21!