How To Eat In Space

During their mission around the Moon and back, the Artemis II crew will need to be nourished inside their Orion spacecraft. The food the four astronauts will eat will play a key role in maintaining their health and ensuring they can perform their mission objectives to the best of their abilities. Long before launch, teams at Johnson Space Center prepare so that the crew has everything they need to enjoy their “around-the-Moon-meals.” It starts with Johnson’s Space Food Systems Laboratory, which supports the development and production of space food, menus, packaging, and food-related hardware for all NASA programs, including Artemis. The crew also spends time practicing how they will use equipment aboard Orion to rehydrate and warm their food inside a full-size Orion mockup at Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. During the mission, the crew will use a potable water dispenser to rehydrate their chosen food and drink packages and a briefcase-style food warmer for warming them up. This is how NASA’s Artemis II astronauts will eat in space. Credit: NASA Writer: Erika Peters Editor: Phil Sexton Producers: Rad Sinyak, Erika Peters Join NASA as we go forward to the Moon and on to Mars -- discover the latest on Earth, the Solar System and beyond with a weekly update in your inbox. Subscribe at: https://www.nasa.gov/subscribe