If you’ve ever wondered what an astronaut snacks on as they make their way to the Moon then look no further.
This is because NASA has released the official menu available to the crew abroad Artemis II as it hurtles towards the lunar rock.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, set off for space yesterday (April 1), departing from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
So, what do astronauts eat when they’re traveling to the Moon? According to NASSA, there are plenty of treats on board for them to enjoy.
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On the NASA website, the organization explained: “The food flying aboard Artemis II is designed to support crew health and performance during the mission around the Moon.
“With no resupply, refrigeration, or late-load capability, all meals must be carefully selected to remain safe, shelf-stable, and easy to prepare and consume in NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
“Food selections are developed in coordination with space food experts and the crew to balance calorie needs, hydration, and nutrient intake while accommodating individual crew preferences.”
The menu includes chocolate, strawberry and vanilla breakfast drinks as well as pineapple juice, coffee, green tea and lemonade.
For their meals, the astronauts can chow down on barbecued beef brisket, green beans, mac and cheese, and couscous.
If they fancy a snack, there are fruit salads, cashews, and granola with blueberries available.
Of course, there are Canadian favorites including maple syrup on board, and there are also sweet treats including cake, cookies, chocolate and pudding.
NASA went on to say: “Food aboard Orion is ready-to-eat, rehydratable, thermostabilized, or irradiated. The crew uses Orion’s potable water dispenser to rehydrate foods and beverages and a compact, briefcase-style food warmer to heat meals as needed.”
The space agency continued: “Designing food systems for Orion requires balancing nutrition, safety, and crew preference within strict mass, volume, and power limits inside a compact, shared cabin.
“Foods must be easy to store, prepare, and consume in microgravity while minimizing crumbs and waste. Preparation is intentionally simple, using ready-to-eat, rehydratable, thermostabilized, or irradiated foods that can be safely prepared without interfering with crew operations or spacecraft systems.”
Do astronauts get to choose their food menus while in space?
According to NASA, the Artemis II crew has ‘direct input’ into their menu selection.
They said: “Crew members sample, evaluate, and rate all foods on the standard menu during preflight testing, and their preferences are balanced with nutritional requirements and what Orion can accommodate.
“Final, crew-specific menus are set well before launch. Two to three days’ worth of food for each crewmember is packed together in a single container, providing flexibility for meal selection during the mission.”