“Food selections are developed in coordination with space food<\/a> experts and the crew to balance calorie needs, hydration, and nutrient intake while accommodating individual crew preferences,” NASA<\/a> officials wrote in a March 3 statement<\/a> about the Artemis 2 menu.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n \n The Artemis 2 prime and backup crews practice eating in a simulator. From left: Jenni Gibbons, backup crew (Canadian Space Agency); Victor Glover, prime crew (NASA) and Christina Koch, prime crew (NASA). (Image credit: NASA\/Robert Markowitz)<\/p>\n Additionally, the foods must produce few crumbs and be easy to prepare in microgravity<\/a>. “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,” NASA added.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While the moon crew has a packed schedule testing Orion and performing lunar observations, meal time will be allocated for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Aside from the food, the astronauts can have up to “two flavored beverages” a day, which could include coffee for the ones used to a caffeine fix.<\/p>\n Food science has advanced considerably since the last Apollo<\/a> astronauts flew to the moon in 1972. The space shuttle<\/a> program in particular allowed for bigger menus and more onboard preparation capabilities, NASA officials said.<\/p>\n But any Artemis 2 astronauts hoping for something similar to the International Space Station<\/a>‘s (ISS) menu had to reset their expectations, because the orbiting lab features refrigeration. In addition, the orbiting lab is in low Earth orbit<\/a>, within easy reach of cargo ships ferrying fruit, vegetables and other perishables. No freighters will meet up with Artemis 2 in deep space, however.<\/p>\n As a result, “Artemis 2 uses a fixed, pre-selected menu designed for a self-contained space vehicle with no resupply,” NASA officials said. However, the astronauts had ample time to weigh in on their preferred meals. “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.”<\/p>\n \n The Artemis 2 crew tests food options in a lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Sitting at the table, from left: Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency), Victor Glover (NASA), Christina Koch (NASA) and Reid Wiseman (NASA). (Image credit: NASA)<\/p>\n NASA offered some flexibility in packing. Each Artemis 2 container has about two to three days’ worth of food, allowing astronauts to pick from a few options during the mission while only opening one box. There will be some limitations depending on what Orion is doing, however.<\/p>\n “Menus are tailored based on the spacecraft’s food preparation capabilities during each phase of flight,” NASA officials stated. “Certain foods \u2014 such as freeze-dried meals \u2014 require hydration using Orion’s potable 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 spacecraft’s operational constraints, while a broader range of food options are available once full food preparation systems are up and running.”<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n A NASA infographic provides some details about the Artemis 2 menu. For example, there are 189 unique food or drink items flying on the mission, including more than 10 types of beverage. There are five different hot sauces, 58 tortillas and a variety of sweet treats, from pudding and cobbler to cake, chocolate and cookies.<\/p>\n \n![\"three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/UdgXxSXL2hU6WSyDhHD4eD.jpg\")
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