The surprising food Artemis II’s astronauts will eat for 10 days, as 187 dishes are revealed

We’ve come a long way since the days of the Apollo 11 menu, and now the Artemis II astronauts will be dining like kings and queens on their way to the moon.

Back in 1969, when the space race was at its peak and cutting-edge technology was still in its infancy, the Apollo 11 astronauts survived on a diet of bacon cubes, peaches, sugar cookie cubes, and fruit concoctions described as “drink” rather than juice. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Now, some 56 years after man first stepped out onto the moon, Artemis II is on its way to the moon once again. This time, it’s helmed by Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, specialist Christina Koch, and specialist Jeremy Hansen. It’s a momentous occasion, especially as Christina is the first woman to travel towards the moon, and Victor is the first Black person.

A momentous occasion deserves momentous sustenance, and these astronauts are eating better than some of us.

Credit: CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock

Here’s what’s on the Artemis II menu

As explained by NASA on its website: “Food selection for Artemis II considers shelf life, food safety, nutritional value, crew preference, and compatibility with Orion’s mass, volume, and power requirements. Foods must be easy to prepare and consume in microgravity, minimise crumbs, and remain safe and stable throughout the mission. The crew provided input well before the meals were packed for the test flight.”

There’s a lot to consider when packing scran for space, and with no fast food joints around the corner, literally everything has to be carefully planned. Things to consider include: Which meals can be eaten when, depending on the phase of the mission, how it’s stored, how it’s prepared, and the astronaut’s personal preferences.

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“The Artemis II crew has direct input into menu selection. Crew members sample, evaluate, and rate all foods on the standard menu during preflight testing, and their preferences are balanced with nutritional requirements and what Orion can accommodate,” NASA explained.

Menu for what the Artemis II astronauts will eat on their 10-day space mission. pic.twitter.com/3DrLZwyBHQ

— Pop Base (@PopBase) April 1, 2026

This go around, there are 187 “unique” items available on the menu, including: 58 tortillas, white flat bread, veggie quiche, breakfast sausage, cous cous, mango salad, granola with blueberries, almonds, cashews, BBQ beef brisket, broccoli gratin, spicy green beans, mac and cheese, tropical fruit salad, butternut squash, and cauliflower. For condiments, the selection includes maple syrup, chocolate spread, peanut butter, spicy mustard, strawberry jam, honey, cinnamon, almond butter, and FIVE different types of hot sauce.

The space adventurers will obviously get thirsty too, so they’ve got: Coffee, green tea, mango peach smoothie, chocolate breakfast drink, lemonade, apple cider, pineapple drink, cocoa, and strawberry breakfast drink.

Obviously, there’s also an array of sweet treats available. You simply can’t go to the moon and not devour some chocolate while looking at the views.

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Credit: CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA/Shutterstock