In a groundbreaking culinary feat aboard China’s space station, astronauts have successfully prepared and enjoyed freshly cooked chicken wings and steaks using a state-of-the-art space oven delivered by the Shenzhou XXI spacecraft. A viral video captured the moment when crew member Wu Fei, a space engineer, marinated chicken wings, skewered them, and baked them to perfection in the specially designed oven. The result? A plate of sizzling New Orleans-style chicken wings, a first in space gastronomy. Alongside this, Wang Jie, another astronaut from the Shenzhou XX crew, collaborated with Wu to prepare black pepper steaks, showcasing their Inner Mongolian heritage, renowned for its high-quality beef. The six astronauts shared the meal, their faces radiating joy and satisfaction. The Shenzhou XXI mission, launched recently, has introduced significant advancements in the space station’s life support systems. The upgraded oven features precise temperature control, residue collection, high-temperature catalysis, and multi-layer filtration, ensuring smoke-free baking and compliance with the station’s emission standards. Rigorous testing has confirmed its reliability for up to 500 cycles. This innovation is part of a broader effort to enhance the astronauts’ dietary experience, with the mission expanding the food variety to over 190 items and extending the menu cycle to 10 days. Fresh vegetables, nuts, cakes, and meats are now part of the orbital menu. Liu Weibo from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center emphasized the psychological benefits of such culinary activities, noting that enjoying aromatic meals can significantly boost the astronauts’ morale during their months-long stay in the confined space station. Additionally, the space station’s vegetable garden has seen remarkable progress, with 10 batches of seven plant species, including lettuce and cherry tomatoes, successfully cultivated, providing 4.5 kg of fresh produce. This achievement marks a significant step in sustainable space agriculture, ensuring a steady supply of fresh fruits and vegetables for the crew. The Shenzhou XX crew is scheduled to return to Earth soon, concluding their mission with a taste of home-cooked space cuisine.