Houston, We’ve Got Dinner

Food for NASA’s Artemis II mission is carefully designed to keep astronauts healthy and performing at their best during their journey around the Moon. With no refrigeration or resupply, all meals must be shelf-stable, safe, easy to prepare, and suitable for microgravity inside the Orion spacecraft.

Menus are planned with input from both space food experts and the crew, balancing nutrition, hydration, and personal preferences while staying within strict limits on space, weight, and power. Astronauts eat scheduled meals each day, with ready-to-eat or rehydratable foods that minimize crumbs and waste.

Unlike the Apollo missions or the International Space Station, Artemis II relies on a fixed menu with no fresh food or resupply. Crew members help choose their meals ahead of time, and food is packaged for flexibility throughout the mission.

Meals are tailored for each phase of flight, using simple prep methods like adding water or heating with onboard equipment—ensuring astronauts can safely eat without disrupting spacecraft operations.