Spaced Ham

The Muppet Show gave us Pigs In Space (or PIS for short), but space aged swine is also coming to Earth...perhaps even to your Thanksgiving dinner table.

The technology originally measured fluid shifts inside astronauts in space. Now the European Space Agency and two companies have adopted the tool to help ensure the quality of a world-famous Spanish cured ham.

Prized "Jamon" ham represents a matter of culinary pride for Spain, and so only the highest quality hams get the label. Experts carefully examine hams to determine by look, touch and smell whether a ham is too wet, too dry or just right. However, the main factor for creating the perfect ham is the amount of water in the meat. Even the most experienced inspectors may find it difficult to determine a ham's water quality.

Enter the device known as the Spectroscopy of Electrical Impedance. The instrument applies a low electrical current to astronaut bodies and analyzes the current's exit from the bodies to measure the upward drift of body liquids in space. The technology has already found use in medical and biotechnology applications on Earth, but the Spanish engineering company NTE saw a new opportunity thanks to an ESA technology broker network.

The device now sits on a ham production line and quickly detects whether hams meet "Jamon" standards. The producer has seen profits rise at a rate of 3% annually, and can ensure its customers better quality meat than ever before. This is the latest in a long line of over 200 space technologies that ESA has helped bring down to Earth. Successes include cooling suits for a Formula 1 racing teams, ground penetrating radar to detect cracks in mine tunnels and several health care innovations. But none have ever been this tasty. Or salty.