A crew of four -- and a large selection of menu items -- successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday. NASA’s Space Launch Systems Rocket and Orion capsule blasted off at 6:35 p.m..
During their nearly 10-day journey, NASA supplied the crewmates with a variety of foods to choose from. The menu has 189 items, including macaroni and cheese, and barbecued beef brisket.
Compared to the Apollo missions, this menu reflects advancements in food and space technology. According to NASA, while the International Space Station relies on fresh food and resupply missions, “Artemis II uses a fixed, pre-selected menu designed for a self-contained space vehicle with no resupply.”
NASA’s Norm Knight, the director of the Flight Operations Directorate, said the astronauts had snacks stashed in their spacesuits during launch but they probably didn’t feel like eating.
“They're going to snack,” Knight said. “They probably have some pre-positioned meals. I know they did in their flight suits -- some of the snacks that they can use if they need. But I will also tell you that on flight day one and flight day two, you might not feel like eating a lot and that's just part of it. Your body is acclimating to zero-g. Your physiology is transitioning from a 1-g environment to zero-g. And it takes a little bit of adapting.”
Before the launch, each crewmember was able to sample and help craft their own menu preferences. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen also has some special food items, like maple cream cookies and maple syrup.
Aside from preferences, NASA prepares and tracks all of the food for the health of this crew and for future Artemis crews.
“We want to make sure that they're healthy, and we also want to make sure we know what they're doing, what they're eating, so we can also track that and make sure that they don't need any supplements or anything additional,” Knight said.
All of the foods on the mission have to be easy to prepare and minimize any crumbs or spillage. NASA said the crew can use Orion’s “potable water dispenser to rehydrate foods and beverages and a compact, briefcase-style food warmer to heat meals as needed.”
