A team of scientists at Washington State University have developed a unique packaging method that effectively triples the shelf life of ready-to-eat macaroni and cheese. Now we know what’s on the menu for the Mars voyage. By our current best estimates, the trip to Mars will only take about seven to nine months. That’s not so bad, but the astronauts will likely want to return. And they also have to account for the fact that Earth and Mars have two different orbits. This means that the shortest route (per the Hohmann transfer plan) to Mars only happens once every 26…

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