Invention of the day: "Space Ram" -- vacuum packed instant noodles specially designed for Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to eat during the U.S. space shuttle Discovery's current mission.

In an effort to prevent the contents from flying off in zero gravity while in space, the noodles are in the form of bite-size balls. The soup was also made stickier than usual.

The boiling point for water on the space shuttle is 70 C, and this forced Nissin Food to adjust the ingredients of the noodles.

Nissin Food also made the taste of the soup stronger because people in space have their sense of taste weakened, it said.

(Via GMSV.)