How do you eat on the way to the Moon, in a spaceship that has no refrigerator or stove?
He Artemis 2 The crew will prove just that when they launch into their historic moon mission not before April 1. The four astronauts – NASA Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Kochtogether with the Canadian space agencies Jeremy Hansen — will bring food that can be safely stored for weeks in your orion spaceshipthen he quickly prepared himself.
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In addition, foods should produce few crumbs and be easy to prepare in microgravity. “The crew uses Orion’s drinking water dispenser to rehydrate food and beverages and a compact briefcase-style food warmer to heat meals as needed,” NASA added.
While the lunar crew has a busy schedule testing Orion and conducting lunar observations, meal time will be allocated for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition to food, astronauts can drink up to “two flavored drinks” a day, which could include coffee for those used to a caffeine fix.
Food science has advanced considerably since the last Apollo Astronauts flew to the Moon in 1972. space shuttle The program in particular allowed for larger menus and more preparation capabilities on board, NASA officials said.
But any Artemis 2 astronaut expecting something similar to International Space StationThe ISS menu (ISS) had to reset your expectations, because the orbital laboratory has refrigeration. Additionally, the orbital laboratory is in low earth orbitwith easy access to cargo ships carrying fruits, vegetables and other perishables. However, no freighter will encounter Artemis 2 in deep space.
As a result, “Artemis 2 uses a preselected fixed menu designed for an autonomous space vehicle without refueling,” NASA officials said. However, the astronauts had enough time to comment on their favorite foods. “Crew members taste, evaluate and rate all foods on the standard menu during pre-flight testing, and their preferences are balanced with nutritional requirements and what Orion can accommodate.”
NASA offered some flexibility when it came to packing. Each Artemis 2 container has two or three days’ worth of food, allowing astronauts to choose from a few options during the mission while only opening one box. However, there will be some limitations depending on what Orion is doing.
“The menus are tailored to the spacecraft’s food preparation capabilities during each phase of flight,” NASA officials said. “Certain foods, such as freeze-dried meals, require hydration using Orion’s drinking water dispenser, which is not available during some phases, including launch and landing. As a result, foods selected for those phases must be ready-to-eat and compatible with the operational limitations of the spacecraft, while a broader range of food options will be available once full food preparation systems are operational.”
A NASA infographic provides some details about the Artemis 2 menu. For example, there are 189 unique foods or drinks flying on the mission, including more than 10 types of drinks. There are five different hot sauces, 58 tortillas and a variety of sweets, from pudding and pie to cakes, chocolate and cookies.
Flying on Orion is a bit like camping from a gastronomic perspective: the spacecraft is an environment where food should be easy to store and prepare, eating requires a minimum of fuss, and preparation is done using simple ingredients and processes.
Two of Artemis 2’s crewmates said in a NASA video that they feel encouraged by the food selection. Koch, who spent about a year aboard the ISS, said she’s impressed by the variety: “The different inputs that you wouldn’t imagine could be rehydrated and really good in space, it’s completely fair game.”
Hansen added that mealtime is a great opportunity for the crew to come together as a community. He hopes to enjoy “that necessary thing you have to do, the thing you should be grateful for” because sharing meals with his friends and family “has always been meaningful to me.”
