Tesco must he over the moon with the publicity potential of its latest prospective customer.

The British supermarket giant, which has been gradually increasing its profile in Ireland since its purchase of the Quinnsworth/Crazyprices chain, has been asked by the US space agency, NASA, for samples of its best-selling food lines with a view to putting them on the menu for astronauts on board the new space station.

NASA is apparently looking for tasty and nutritious food to keep the spacemen and women on board the joint American/Russian space station well-fed when it is commissioned in 2003.

The interest follows Tesco's role supplying provisions for Virgin boss Richard Branson's unsuccessful round-the-world balloon trip.