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What will Artemis 2 astronauts eat on their moon trip?

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March 12, 2026

Watch Artemis 2 astronauts Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen taste-test foods they will be eating on the moon mission. Video via NASA.

Update! Artemis 2 mission readying for April launch

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What will the Artemis 2 astronauts eat on their moon mission?

Space food has come a long way since the days of Tang! Soon, when the Artemis 2 astronauts journey to the moon, they’ll have food choices … a lot of them.

For breakfast, they might pick a vegetable quiche with a side of sausage and a coffee. For lunch, they could have couscous with nuts and a mango-peach smoothie. And for dinner there’s an option of barbecue beef brisket, mac and cheese and spicy green beans.

Sure, meals on the Artemis missions are focused on nutrition, safety and practicality. All the foods must be shelf-stable, because there is no refrigeration on the spaceship. But they also have to be easy to eat in microgravity. Crumbly foods, such as crackers or bread, can be a hazard. Rogue crumbs can find their way into the onboard equipment. So tortillas are popular among astronauts.

Here’s a look at some of the many food choices on the menu for the first astronauts to return to the moon in more than 50 years.

Six kinds of shrink-wrapped food, and a knife, fork, and scissors. — Astronauts’ meals are dehydrated before they’re sent into space. The crew are able to add water and microwave them to bring them back to a normal consistency. Image via NASA.

Artemis 2 astronauts: A list of foods and beverages on the menu with info on coffee, spices, sweets and more. — Here’s a look at a selection of the menu items for the Artemis 2 astronauts. Not bad! I wonder what they taste like? Image via NASA.

Advanced planning

Nope, no pizza delivery or DoorDash in space. So mission specialists need to plan every meal for the approximately 10-day trip in advance. And the astronauts’ meals on launch and reentry day will be different from the rest of their mission. While in space, their vacuum-packed meals require potable water to rehydrate. And that’s not available during launch or landing. So, on those days, they’ll rely on ready-to-eat meals.

The astronauts also only get two flavored beverages per day. That’s because there’s only so much room for food and drinks on a space mission, and liquids pack a lot of weight.

The Artemis astronauts have sampled their food choices and pre-selected their menu. After all, on a 10-day … no resupply ship. Astronauts on the International Space Station do get resupply ships and are treated to fresh fruits and vegetables. But a mission to the moon is different.

Inside a spacecraft, a smiling woman with her hair floating reaches for a floating brownie with toppings. — On Expedition 36 at the International Space Station, astronaut Karen Nyberg reached for dessert. Image via NASA.

Breaking bread

Will they eat together? Sometimes, sure. Astronaut Jeremy Hansen commented:

Eating together really resonates with me. I think it’s a human thing. To break bread together and to enjoy that necessary thing you have to do, the thing you should be grateful for … and so doing that as a group, as a family, has always been meaningful for me.

And all with no cooking! They’ll just need to rehydrate their foods by adding water. Plus, they’ll use a food warmer that looks like a metal briefcase. It’ll serve as their makeshift kitchen for the duration of the mission.

In a cramped spacecraft, 2 smiling astronauts at a table with a wide variety of labeled packets. — NASA has previously sent crab bisque, roast turkey and blueberry cobbler to the ISS to make sure their astronauts were able to enjoy a proper Thanksgiving dinner. Here, crew members can be seen tucking into a pizza. Image via NASA.

A hand placing a packet into a small case-like device with its lid open. — The crew will use Orion’s water dispenser to rehydrate foods and beverages while a compact, briefcase–style food warmer (pictured) will heat meals when needed. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: Get a peek at the items that will be on the menu for Artemis 2 astronauts as they make their journey to the moon in 2026.

Via NASA

Kelly Kizer Whitt

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About the Author:

Kelly Kizer Whitt - EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube - writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.

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