Alcohol is part of human morality, there is no doubt about it. In some societies, it is even a real part of the culture. Nevertheless, on board the International Space Station (ISS), there is no question of consuming the slightest drop of any alcoholic beverage. At least in theory. Some astronauts have already broken the rules and even been rather creative so that it does not show.
Alcohol is a prominent part of many cultures around the world. However, the rules governing the operation of the ISS are formal:no alcohol on board. Space agencies require – and this is quite normal – that their astronauts stay sober. In addition, remember that alcohol is made of ethanol, a flammable and volatile substance. capable of damaging the equipment present in the station. The men and women the agencies send aboard the ISS are overtrained and are logically models of discipline. Again in theory because in reality, alcohol has already entered the premises , as an article in the magazine Supercluster recalled published on November 30, 2020.
This media publishing content on Space explains that some astronauts, or rather (Russian) cosmonauts have shown ingenuity in order to sneak alcohol on board the station. Among the pangs of our Russian friends, we find bottled alcohol bearing a label mentioning the term "juice". We should also mention the presence of cognac, hidden in hollow books.
In 2017 in the media Russia Beyond, cosmonauts had confided:the early years of space exploration were rather watered! However, let's not stay focused on the Russians, since the Americans are not left out according to astronaut Clayton Anderson. The person concerned, having spent several months on board the ISS in 2007, did not mention the secret passage of alcohol from his compatriots. On the other hand, some of them would have agreed to toast despite the prohibitions.
Obviously, NASA and other agencies will never confirm these little "stellar binges". However - and this is very official - alcohol has already entered the station with all the authorizations needed, repeatedly. For scientific reasons, the Cygnus supply shuttle delivered a dozen bottles of Bordeaux in November 2020. The objective? Observing the chemical reactions of wine during its passage through space. Previously, some companies producing whiskey or even champagne sent a few doses of their beverages on board. However, this looked more like sensational promotional campaigns.
