Timeline: Space Food

1959

Introduction

Welcome to my timeline about space food. Here you will see how space food evolved and if it’s nasty or actually okay. Let’s see!

1962

First Space Food

John Glenn, was the first American to eat in space aboard Friendship 7 in 1962. He ate applesauce, packed in a tube, and xylose sugar tablets with packets. Wow! That sure was a small meal!

1964

What types of meals?

There are different types of packaged meals in space. Here are some examples. Meal A: sugar frosted flakes, sausage patties, toast squares with orange-grapefruit juice. Meal B: Tuna salad, cheese sandwiches, apricot pudding and grape juice. Meal C: Beef pot roast, carrots in cream sauce, bread cubes, pineapple cubes and tea. Meal D: potato soup, chicken bits, toast squares, applesauce, brownies and orange grapefruit juice.

1968

How much did it cost?

How much did the food cost? Space food usually costs around 100 to 300 dollars. A lot, right! It’s a high cost because the people who make the food have to dehydrate and crumble proof bite-size snacks.

1971

Space Foods Evolving

Space food has come a long way, from the first food being applesauce to cookies and goods! Some astronauts say ‘ugh’ when they have to eat in space. Some say ‘mm’ when they reach the pantry. Pantries are astronauts' favorite place and probably mine too!

1972

Microwave

In space there is a microwave, well, sort of a microwave. There is a very hot folder that has compartments. It’s connected to the wall. You can put bags of food in there. After a couple of minutes, it’s done!

1973

Fridge In Space

A fridge in space? What! There were major advancements in different types of packaged food in 1973 during the Skylab program. Skylab was a space mission after Apollo, in which the third stage of a Saturn V rocket was converted into a space station. Astronauts put their meals in the fridge, to keep them cold and not turn moldy. Ew!

1985

Delivery Is Here!

Remember the olden days when astronauts had to eat food from toothpaste bottles? Ew. To eat in space you had to dehydrate some food. Imagine eating dehydrated beef! Every week the space station would give them fresh dehydrated food.

1990

Treats!

In the 1990s, space food sticks were very popular. It was a stick that was a chocolate chip cookie. Yum! Space food is sometimes a treat.

2004

Eat Healthy!

In space there are no leftovers. If you don’t eat enough carbs and protein when you get on Earth, you’re going to be very weak. In space you lose a lot of carbs and protein so you have to eat a lot of good healthy food!

2006

No crumbles!

The first rule of eating in space is NEVER eat anything that crumbles. No one wants to chase crumbs in space! How many people have launched into space? Over 400 people shot into space. Wow! In space being a messy eater is not easy.

2018