It is one of the most anticipated scientific milestones of 2026: Artemis II of the NASA will mark a turning point in space exploration since it will represent the return of human beings to the Moon since the era of the Apollo Program, that is, after more than half a century.
During the missionwhich will last between 10 and 11 days (for now it would be in April), the crew will travel aboard the ship Orion Spacecrafta capsule designed to transport people beyond Earth’s orbit.
Los four astronauts Appointed are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch (NASA), and Jeremy Hanse (Canadian Space Agency).
Orion will be their home during a trip in which they will travel, approximately, 1.1 million kilometers. In the crew module, they will live and work; while the ship’s service module will provide the essential products they need to stay alive, such as drinking water, nitrogen and oxygen for breathing.
And here we come to a very important question: how will they feed? The thing is, if there’s something that doesn’t seem easy to do in space, it’s eating…
The first thing that NASA highlights is that every meal was carefully planned by scientists and nutritionists specialized in space food.
It turns out that the menu must not only be nutritious but also have to adapt to the unique conditions of the microgravedad and to limited space storage inside the ship.
Within all the preparations it is making for the mission, NASA recently revealed what the menu with which the astronauts will feed while they are in space.
«The food that flies aboard Artemis II is designed to support the health and the performance of the crew during the mission around the Moon,» explains the space agency.
At this point it should be noted that the Orion ship does not have a cooling or late storage system, which limits the options only to non-perishable food.
Thus, the experts detail, «they will not be able to bring fresh food on board. Without replenishment, refrigeration or late loading capacity, all meals must be carefully selected so that they remain safe, stable, and easy to prepare and consume on NASA’s Orion spacecraft.»
This menu is the result of several decades of research and innovation in the area of space food, something that will allow us to transfer a Greater variety of food and drinks for astronauts.
«Food selections are developed in coordination with space food experts and the crew to balance caloric needs, hydration and nutrient intake, while adapting to individual crew preferences,» they highlight.
How food is designed for space
The astronauts’ menu is developed in the Space Food Systems Laboratorylocated at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, experts work to create foods that can remain stable for long periods without refrigeration.
As we anticipated, in the Orion capsule there will be no refrigerators or fresh food, so most of the meals will be dehydrated or freeze-dried (they are rehydrated with water), thermostabilized (cooked and sealed to preserve) and vacuum packedto avoid contamination and prolong its duration.
Additionally, you must follow strict rules, such as produce very few crumbs, resist temperature changes and power prepare easily with the water dispenser and food warmer that the ship carries.
Before the mission, of course, the astronauts taste and rate different dishes so they can then select the ones they like the most.
What will the Artemis II mission menu be like?
Although it may seem surprising, the Artemis II spatial menu includes very familiar dishes for us. Among them, for example, there is roast beef, shrimp curry with rice, noodles with cheese, mango salad, various dressings and tortillas, a very special meal since it does not generate too many crumbs.
On this occasion, too, they will carry more than ten types of drinks – tea, coffee and lemonade, among others – and five hot sauces.
Since one of the astronauts is Canadian, some are also included representative products from that country, such as smoked salmon and maple syrup.
How many calories do astronauts consume?
In space, maintaining adequate nutrition is essential to preserve muscle mass, bone density, and cognitive performance.
Therefore, each crew member will eat three main meals a day, consume a snack and two flavored drinks.
Daily intake may vary between 1,900 and 3,200 caloriesdepending on factors such as body weight, sex and level of physical activity.
