NASA has revealed the meal plan for its four astronauts embarking on an upcoming lunar mission. The crew of Artemis 2 will have a selection of 189 food items curated by the space agency for their 10-day interstellar journey.
The menu for the expedition includes five varieties of hot sauces and over 10 beverages such as lemonade, apple cider, and various flavored “breakfast drinks.” There will be an ample supply of coffee onboard, with enough for approximately 43 cups, allowing for more than one cup per crew member daily.
To ensure food safety and ease of preparation in NASA’s Orion spacecraft, all meals have been meticulously chosen to be shelf-stable and suitable for consumption without refrigeration. The menu caters to the crew’s calorie requirements, hydration needs, and individual preferences, developed in collaboration with space food experts.
Artemis 2 marks the first crewed spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit since 1972’s Apollo 17 mission. While fresh foods are not feasible due to the lack of refrigeration, non-perishable options like butternut squash, blueberries, and a mango salad will be available for the crew. Additionally, dehydrated barbecued beef brisket, 58 tortillas, and condiments like mustard, jam, and almond butter have been included in the menu.
NASA emphasized that the food selection process prioritized shelf life, nutritional value, crew preferences, and compatibility with the spacecraft’s constraints. The agency stated that foods must be easy to consume in microgravity, minimize crumbs, and guarantee safety throughout the mission, with crew input considered during menu development.
Astronauts will have designated meal times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during a typical mission day, with each crew member allotted two flavored beverages daily. The spacecraft’s limited kitchen facilities necessitate ready-to-eat, rehydratable, or thermostabilized food options, with a potable water dispenser and food warmer available for meal preparation.
The Artemis 2 mission includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The launch, initially scheduled for earlier this month, has been rescheduled for April 1, promising an exciting journey beyond Earth’s orbit.
