NASA reveals Artemis II menu: tortillas, mac & cheese, mango salad, 10+ drinks
The Orion capsule carries 189 non-perishable items for a 10-day lunar orbit with no refrigeration or resupply. The menu is engineered for microgravity safety, minimal crumbs, and easy prep using Orion’s water dispenser and a briefcase-style heater. It’s a practical, calorie-balanced diet designed to sustain crew health and morale far from Earth.
Dec 31, 2475, 7:00 PM EST
Why it matters:
- Food in deep space must be safe, shelf-stable, and easy to eat in microgravity — a small detail that can become a mission risk. Artemis II’s menu shows how NASA balances nutrition, safety, and crew morale without refrigeration or resupply.
Driving the news:
- NASA has detailed the Artemis II menu for the 10-day lunar-orbit mission aboard Orion, emphasizing non-perishable, ready-to-eat or rehydratable items. The plan avoids foods that shed crumbs or require refrigeration, using Orion’s potable water dispenser and a compact, briefcase-style heater for prep.
The big picture:
- Orion is a compact, autonomous spacecraft with no refrigeration and no resupply window, so every gram and every food choice is constrained by mass, storage, and safety. The menu prioritizes shelf stability, minimal particulate shedding, and straightforward preparation to protect equipment and crew health in microgravity.
By the numbers:
- 189 unique food items and more than 10 beverage types are included, with up to two flavored drinks per astronaut per day (including coffee).
- The menu features 58 tortillas and flatbreads to minimize crumbs, plus five different hot sauces and a range of condiments.
- The crew will have 10 days to eat three meals a day with no resupply or refrigeration.
Zoom in:
- Breakfast and staples include scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, granola with blueberries, quiche, brisket, macaroni and cheese, and grilled broccoli.
- Salads and sides feature mango salad, couscous with walnuts, and cauliflower with butternut squash; nuts like almonds and cashews are on hand.
- Desserts and treats include chocolate, cookies, pudding, cake, cobbler, and caramelized almonds; condiments span maple syrup, peanut butter, honey, spicy mustard, cinnamon, and strawberry jam.
- Beverages include coffee, green tea, lemonade, cocoa, apple cider, and smoothies such as mango–peach and pineapple.
State of play:
- The menu is designed to be safe, durable, and easy to prepare and consume in Orion, with foods that are ready-to-eat, rehydratable, thermally stabilized, or irradiated. Crew will use Orion’s potable water dispenser and a compact heater to rehydrate and warm meals as needed.
What to watch:
- Launch is set for April 1 at 19:24 local time from Cape Canaveral, with the Orion capsule carrying four astronauts on a 10-day lunar-orbit mission.
The bottom line:
- Artemis II’s menu is a carefully engineered, crumb-minimized, shelf-stable diet that keeps the crew fed and focused without refrigeration or resupply.