Sushi in Space

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Welcome back to The New Sentinel, everyone! I’m Anjali Mehta, and with me as always is Duke Johnson. Today, we’re talking about something that honestly made my week—a viral sushi-making moment aboard the International Space Station. Duke, did you see this? Astronauts making sushi in zero gravity, sticky tape and all. It’s wild.

Duke Johnson

Yeah, I saw it. I’ll admit, at first I thought it was just another goofy social media stunt, but the more I looked into it, the more I realized—this was actually a pretty sharp move by NASA. I mean, you got Jonny Kim, a Navy SEAL turned astronaut, craving sushi, and next thing you know, the whole crew’s MacGyvering a sushi roll with Spam and gochujang. That’s some real fieldcraft, if you ask me.

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Exactly! And it wasn’t just about the food, right? The way they shared it—posting photos, then that behind-the-scenes video NASA dropped later—it just exploded online. I think it’s a masterclass in digital storytelling. Like, suddenly, astronauts aren’t just these distant, superhuman figures. They’re people, missing home food, improvising with what they have. It’s so relatable.

Duke Johnson

Yeah, and you know, from a strategic angle, this is textbook soft power. NASA’s not just showing off tech—they’re showing off the human side. That’s a big deal, especially when you’re fighting for funding back home. I mean, Congress loves a good PR win, and this was low-cost, high-impact. No fancy CGI, just some sticky tape and a craving for sushi. That’s how you win hearts and minds.

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Totally. And if you look at the analyses—MOST, SPEAR, PESTEL, all those frameworks—it’s clear this wasn’t just luck. Their mission is to humanize space, right? And their objectives—get people interested in ISS life, inspire STEM curiosity, strengthen NASA’s digital brand. They nailed all of it. The tactics were so simple: viral video, personal storytelling, and just letting the astronauts be themselves on social media.

Duke Johnson

And it worked. You got people on TikTok and YouTube making memes, reaction videos, even teachers using the sushi clip as a teaching moment. I mean, my nephew’s science class watched it and then tried to make “zero-G sushi” with marshmallows and tape. It’s goofy, but it gets kids thinking about science and problem-solving. That’s a win for the STEM pipeline, no question.

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And it’s not just kids. The public response was overwhelmingly positive. People from all over the world were commenting, sharing their own food stories, talking about cultural diversity. I mean, sushi in space! It’s such a beautiful symbol of how space exploration isn’t just American or Russian or whatever—it’s global, it’s multicultural. And NASA leaned into that, celebrating it instead of just sticking to the usual “spacewalk and science” narrative.

Duke Johnson

Right, and you know, there’s an economic angle too. NASA’s digital platforms got a ton of traffic, and I saw they started pushing new merch—t-shirts, mugs, even little sushi astronaut plushies. And the educational tie-ins, like lesson plans about microgravity cooking, that’s smart. You keep the momentum going, you build brand equity, and you get more people invested in what NASA’s doing. That’s how you build long-term support, not just for the ISS, but for the whole space program.

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And I love that NASA empowered the astronauts to share these unscripted moments. There’s always a risk, right? Someone could say, “Oh, you’re trivializing space missions.” But honestly, the risk is so minimal compared to the upside. People want to see the real, messy, creative side of exploration. It’s what makes it inspiring.

Duke Johnson

Yeah, and let’s be real, if you overdo it, it could get old fast. But as a one-off, it’s gold. And it’s not just about fun—there’s a teaching moment here. Using sticky tape to anchor food in zero-G? That’s a real problem astronauts face, and now millions of people get a glimpse of that challenge. It’s not just a stunt, it’s a window into life up there.

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So, what do you think organizations—whether it’s NASA or anyone else—can learn from this “Space Sushi” moment? For me, it’s about giving people on the ground, or in this case, in orbit, the freedom to be creative and authentic. That’s what cuts through the noise online. You can’t script this kind of magic.

Duke Johnson

Yeah, I’d say, don’t be afraid to show the human side. Let your people improvise, let them share the weird stuff. That’s what sticks. And use every platform you got—X, TikTok, YouTube. Meet people where they are. NASA’s been doing more of that lately, with merch, with educational stuff, and it’s paying off. You gotta adapt, or you get left behind.

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And honestly, it’s a reminder that sometimes the best PR isn’t planned. It’s about being open to those spontaneous, genuine moments. That’s what people remember. I mean, I still smile thinking about that floating sushi roll. It’s just—joyful.

Duke Johnson

Yeah, and if it gets more kids interested in science, or gets Congress to loosen the purse strings a bit, that’s a mission accomplished in my book. Simple, effective, and a little bit of fun never hurt anyone.

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Alright, that’s all for today’s episode of The New Sentinel. Thanks for joining us as we unpacked sushi in space and what it means for NASA, STEM, and digital storytelling. Duke, always a pleasure.

Duke Johnson

You too, Anjali. And hey, next time, maybe we’ll get some sushi down here—no sticky tape required.

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Deal! Thanks for listening, everyone. We’ll catch you next time. Bye!

Duke Johnson

Take care, folks. Out.