Ever wondered what astronauts eat when they are travelling through space? The menu for the crew of the latest NASA mission – the Artemis II has been revealed.
On the NASA website, the meals the crew will have to choose from are outlined in great detail and include some very tasty and unexpected items.
Nasa says, ‘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.
Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen of CSA (Canadian Space Agency), mission specialist Christina Koch, commander Reid Wiseman, and pilot Victor Glover (obscured) wave to NASA employees as they depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building ahead of the launch of the Artemis II at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Pic: Getty Images
Foods must be easy to prepare and consume in microgravity, minimize crumbs, and remain safe and stable throughout the mission. The crew provided input well before the meals were packed for the test flight.’
On a typical mission day, excluding launch and reentry, the crew will have plenty of time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and are allowed two flavoured drinks per day, which can include coffee.
Beverage options are limited due to space constraints, which limit the amount of food and drink that can be carried onboard.
Fresh foods will not be flown on Artemis II, as Orion lacks the refrigeration or late-load capability required for fresh foods.
Food with a long shelf life helps manage safety and quality in a compact aircraft, and the type of food also reduces the risk of crumbs or particles in microgravity.
A NASA Space Launch System (SLS) with the Orion spacecraft carrying the Artemis II astronauts lifts off from Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Pic: Shutterstock
The Artemis II crew gets to choose from quite an extensive menu, featuring items like barbecued brisket of beef, vegetable quiche, and macaroni and cheese, as well as cold drinks like mango-peach smoothies and hot drinks like green tea and coffee.
NASA has anticipated that the crew of four will drink about 43 cups of coffee over their ten-day mission in space.
The Artemis II rocket blasted off from Florida on April 1 and will spend 10 days flying around the moon and observing Earth from space on its ten-day test flight.
At least the crew won’t go hungry, with many people commenting on social media that the food in space is better than what they eat on Earth.
Menu for what the Artemis II astronauts will eat on their 10-day space mission. pic.twitter.com/3DrLZwyBHQ
— Pop Base (@PopBase) April 1, 2026