Artemis II mission: Why NASA’s 189-Item menu omits bread, salt & pepper. How these everyday foods become hazardous in space

Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed mission of the Artemis programme, marks humanity’s return to deep space nearly 55 years after the Apollo missions. The 10-day journey, launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft, carries astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a lunar flyby. Unlike missions to the International Space Station, Artemis II cannot receive fresh provisions, making its food system essential.

Unlike missions to the International Space Station, Artemis II has no option for resupply or fresh food, so every item aboard must be shelf-stable, safe, and compatible with microgravity. To meet these constraints, NASA designed a menu that balances nutritional requirements, morale, and operational practicality. Each astronaut has carefully selected meals tested during preflight to ensure ease of preparation, proper calorie intake, and suitability for life beyond Earth orbit.

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The crew participated in preflight testing to help select meals, ensuring that calorie needs, hydration, and nutrient intake were all carefully balanced. Main entrées consist of tortillas, wheat flatbread, vegetable quiche, breakfast sausage, couscous with nuts, mango salad, granola with blueberries, almonds, cashews, barbecued beef brisket, broccoli au gratin, spicy green beans, macaroni and cheese, tropical fruit salad, butternut squash, and cauliflower. Desserts feature chocolate pudding cake, maple cream cookies, cobbler, and candy-coated almonds. Yet, despite the carefully curated menu of 189 items, some common food staples, like breads, salt, and pepper, are intentionally excluded, reflecting the unique challenges of preparing and consuming food in microgravity.

Why Bread, Salt and Pepper Are Banned

Flour tortillas have long replaced traditional bread in space, first introduced on shuttle missions in 1985. Their low crumb count prevents particles from floating freely in microgravity, which could interfere with instruments or clog ventilation systems. Similarly, salt and pepper are excluded, as loose grains would not settle on food and could contaminate cabin air, posing safety risks. Polyethylene dropper bottles provide bulk supplies of liquid seasonings: pepper suspended in oil and salt dissolved in water.

Additionally, carbonated drinks are banned as bubbles don’t separate in microgravity, causing ‘wet burps,’ while alcohol is prohibited due to impairment risks and potential damage to water recycling systems.

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NASA uses freeze-dried, thermostabilised, and irradiated foods, combined with pre-measured powdered seasonings and beverages for precise, safe consumption. Drinks, including coffee, tea, orange juice, lemonade, and apple cider arrive in foil-sealed pouches with septum adapters that interface with Orion’s potable water dispenser. This allows astronauts to rehydrate beverages directly without spillage. Each meal is carefully portioned and packaged to maintain nutritional balance, ensure ease of handling, and prevent contamination, enabling the crew to consume all items safely throughout the 10-day Artemis II mission.

Eating in Orbit: Trays, Utensils and Cleanup

Astronauts use meal trays strapped to their laps or fixed to the wall to manage multiple dishes simultaneously. This replicates a conventional dining experience while preventing food containers from floating away. After meals, containers are disposed of in the trash compartment beneath the middeck floor. Utensils and trays are cleaned using premoistened sanitising towelettes. This careful orchestration of meal planning, preparation, and cleanup allows the Artemis II crew to enjoy 189 menu items safely, maintaining nutrition and comfort throughout their 10-day lunar journey.