10 Things Artemis Astronauts May Eat During A Mission Around The Moon

Space travel sounds epic until hunger shows up and asks what’s for dinner. Artemis II is not playing around, with 189 unique shelf-stable menu items packed for the mission around the Moon.

Comfort food in zero gravity, a little spice, something sweet, and suddenly dinner in space feels way more normal than expected.

1. Tortillas

Fifty-eight tortillas made the menu, and somehow that number feels completely reasonable. Loose crumbs turn into floating hazards in microgravity, so NASA replaced traditional bread with tortillas decades ago.

Flexible wraps hold fillings neatly, tear without scattering debris, and make meals feel closer to something familiar rather than purely functional.

Unsung MVP status fits perfectly here, quietly keeping everything together hundreds of thousands of miles from the nearest grocery store.

2. Coffee

Packing forty-three cups of coffee for the Artemis II crew feels both generous and completely reasonable.

Orbit mornings still call for that first familiar sip, even when the mug becomes a sealed pouch and the view outside stretches toward the lunar surface. Coffee brings a familiar routine to a mission where meals still matter for comfort as much as function.

Somehow, coffee in space feels like the universe offering a quiet “you’ve got this,” one careful sip at a time.

3. Green Tea

Morning routines shift in space, and not every crew member reaches for coffee when something gentler like green tea does the job. Caffeine arrives in a softer way, offering focus without the sharp spike that can come with stronger drinks.

Simple comfort still matters during missions where resupply is not an option and consistency becomes part of daily life.

Calm ritual still finds its place even in low lunar orbit, with a steady cup that feels familiar far from home. Quiet reliability defines it best, an easy choice that keeps working no matter how far from Earth you are.

4. Mango Salad

Color and flavor snap into focus with a bright mango salad, cutting through a menu that might otherwise lean too beige.

Mango salad adds one of the brighter flavor notes on a menu built around shelf-stable foods. It delivers that punch, balancing sweetness and tang in a way milder dishes cannot match.

One forkful changes the whole mood, swapping hints of recycled air for something closer to a beach afternoon.

5. Almonds

Few snacks manage to stay this reliable without needing any introduction, and almonds prove it every time.

Crunchy, protein-packed, and shelf-stable for ages, they slip easily into a space mission pantry without taking up much room or asking for any preparation.

Grabbing a handful brings a simple snack option that fits easily into a tightly planned mission day, with the crunch alone feeling oddly grounding. Even 239,000 miles from Earth, a good snack break stays non-negotiable, and almonds come through every single time.

6. Cashews

Cashews bring a buttery richness to snack time that almonds simply cannot replicate, and the Artemis crew gets both.

Rich, shelf-stable, and easy to portion, cashews make sense on a menu built for long storage and simple eating. They are also satisfying enough to silence a rumbling stomach between scheduled mealtimes.

Honestly, cashews in space feel like a tiny luxury tucked inside a very serious science mission.

7. Barbecued Beef Brisket

Lunar mission menus are not where most people expect to find barbecued beef brisket, which is exactly why it stands out. Sealed into a shelf-stable pouch, the slow-smoked flavor survives the trip and warms up in the mission’s compact, briefcase-style food heater.

Backyard cookout energy matters more than it sounds, because comfort and morale are real resources when a crew is far from home.

Sending barbecue all the way to the Moon feels less like a gimmick and more like very human planning done well.

8. Macaroni And Cheese

Few foods deliver comfort quite like macaroni and cheese, and astronauts deserve that kind of warmth too.

Using Orion’s potable water dispenser and compact food warmer, the dish can be prepared into a satisfying meal.

Familiar flavors help ease stress and support mood during high-stakes missions, turning it into a smart choice both nutritionally and psychologically. Even in space, macaroni and cheese proves that some classics belong absolutely everywhere.

9. Butternut Squash

Butternut squash brings earthy sweetness and serious nutritional firepower to the Artemis menu.

Sweet, soft, and instantly recognizable, butternut squash slips into a menu dominated by tightly controlled shelf-stable foods without feeling out of place.

The natural sweetness also pairs well with the spicy condiments NASA packed, creating flavor combinations that feel surprisingly restaurant-worthy.

Squash in space is the vegetable quietly doing the most while everyone else gets the spotlight.

10. Lemonade

Small details make a space menu feel human, and lemonade does exactly that. Tart sweetness cuts through the routine of water and caffeine, bringing in something that feels closer to summer than survival.

Flavored drinks help add variety to a menu where beverage choices are limited by mass constraints.

Picture sipping something bright and citrusy while orbiting the Moon, a small lift that makes the entire mission feel lighter.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational and entertainment purposes and reflects an editorial overview of selected foods listed on NASA’s Artemis II crew menu.

Descriptions of comfort, taste, and appeal are inherently subjective, and mission food availability, preparation methods, and final crew selections are shaped by operational constraints, nutrition planning, and mission requirements. The featured image has been adapted to represent the following theme, with given and available image sources at the time.