The Context for Food Service and Nutrition in the Space Station

Space is part of humanity's continuing evolution and an integral part of man's
capabilities to fashion a better future for this and succeeding generations.
There is no turning back; space is the arena where U.S. industry has the
opportunity to achieve a competitive edge and restore the vitality of industrial
innovation.

As in any emerging field with bright promise, skeptics can point to major
obstacles to space operations, including the high cost of space transportation
and space activities, the risks of new ventures and the timing of entry into the
space market. Commercial activities in space represent diverse markets where
international competitors will be motivated by economic, technical and political
considerations. Although the technical details, costs and benefits of these
activities can only be conceived in broad outline, it is time to take a
constructive view of the attainable economic returns from space endeavors.

President Reagan directed NASA to develop a permanently manned Space Station
within a decade to demonstrate U.S. leadership in space and to stimulate
commercial exploitation of space.(1) " A Space Station," declared Dr. James M.
Beggs, NASA Administrator, "provides a logical stepping stone to the exploration
and exploitation of space."(2)