Discover how the NASA Space Food Research Lab operates and plays a key role in developing food for astronauts on space missions.

In 1961, a new space center opened in Houston, Texas, to accommodate the Space Task Group. By 1973, it was renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC). Today, JSC is best known for its Mission Control Center, which oversees all shuttle operations. However, the campus has much more to offer, including its leadership in the International Space Station program and as the hub for astronaut training. JSC also serves as a gathering place for students, scientists, and engineers who collaborate on space-related research, including space food development.

The Space Food Systems Laboratory (SFSL) is a versatile research facility where space food is developed and processed. It also handles menu planning, food packaging, and the design of specialized equipment for the space shuttle, the International Space Station, and advanced life support systems.

In its laboratories, scientists explore food and agricultural advancements aimed at extending food shelf life, enhancing nutritional value, mitigating radiation exposure, and even solving challenges like growing hydroponic (soil-free) soybeans. This research and technology will be crucial for future missions to Mars or other distant planets.

The foods developed at this facility aren't exotic concoctions simmering in test tubes—they are the same foods we enjoy on Earth, some even identical to those found on supermarket shelves. The key difference lies in how space food is processed and packaged for space missions.

In this article, we will explore the workings of NASA's Space Food Systems Lab, and uncover how the lab develops, processes, and packages food specifically for astronauts in space.

The Johnson Space Center

At NASA's Johnson Space Center, you'll find Building 17, home to the Space Food Systems Laboratory. This facility is divided into four main labs: a test kitchen (which includes preparation areas and sensory testing booths), a food processing lab, a food packaging lab, and an analytical lab.

A diverse team of food scientists, dietitians, engineers, and technicians use their expertise in chemistry, biology, microbiology, and nutrition to conduct experiments, develop space food products, write detailed specifications, and collaborate with other teams. Their work supports food systems for the space shuttle, International Space Station, and future space exploration missions.

The facility’s capabilities are truly remarkable. The team conducts sensory and physical food analysis, designs menus, and manages food product development. They also test food preservation methods such as blast freezing and freeze-drying, develop long-term food storage techniques, and innovate in creating custom packaging materials.

Constantly striving to enhance the dining experience for astronauts in space, the team works on improving food preparation and serving techniques, evaluates new prototypes and space food hardware, and explores ways to grow food in space or even on Mars.

In the early days of space exploration, food was simple and often packaged in cubes or tubes. Meals typically consisted of freeze-dried powders, bite-sized cubes, and semi-liquid foods stored in tubes similar to toothpaste. As space missions were short, food wasn’t a major concern during these early trips.

In August 1962, John Glenn made history as the first American to eat in space (Soviet cosmonaut German Titov was the first person to do so). However, in the early 1960s, astronauts ate food that was highly processed and often unappetizing, referred to as "meals in a pill". These were coated with gelatin to prevent crumbling, and by the mid-1960s, despite some small improvements, the range of food available remained limited, with butterscotch pudding being a rare treat for dessert.

As NASA prepared for the Apollo missions in the late 1960s, scientists worked on improving the processing and packaging of space food. During these missions, astronauts were provided with foods that could be rehydrated with hot water. Between 1968 and 1972, with longer missions and more advanced spacecraft, food packaging evolved. Aluminum cans were introduced for storage, and more flexible packaging was developed, along with methods to preserve food's nutritional value and shelf life. One notable innovation was the "spoon bowl" — a plastic container designed to be opened and eaten with a spoon. By the 1970s, space food had progressed to offer 72 different pre-cooked and rehydratable items, allowing astronauts aboard Skylab to dine together using conventional utensils like forks and knives (and scissors for opening packages).

From the 1980s onwards, space food technology advanced significantly, aligning with shuttle missions and the growth of the International Space Station. Pre-processed, individually packaged meals were introduced, along with some fresh food options. Today, astronauts enjoy a diverse range of meals that resemble what we eat on Earth, complete with condiments like Tabasco sauce, which made its way to space in the 1990s.

Next, let's explore the different types of space food, where these foods come from, and how astronauts' menus are planned.

Space Food R&D

The Space Food Systems Laboratory utilizes eight different food processing methods: rehydrated, thermostabilized, irradiated, intermediate moisture, natural form, fresh, refrigerated, and frozen. For more details on each type, visit How Space Food Works. The laboratory also works with beverages. Most foods are precooked or processed in ways that eliminate the need for refrigeration, and they are ready to eat or can be easily rehydrated or reheated.

NASA food scientists do not prepare food from scratch in a test kitchen. Instead, United States Alliance (USA) manages the provisioning of space food under contract with NASA. When stocks at the Space Food Systems Laboratory run low, USA sources inventory from commercial suppliers, like Pillsbury Co. and Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc., or acquires fresh produce to process in-house. All items provided by USA undergo testing and evaluation in the laboratory for safety, nutrition, and sensory qualities (such as taste) before being cleared for use by astronauts.

Around eight to nine months before their mission, astronauts participate in food evaluations as part of their training. These evaluations are conducted in sensory booths at the Space Food Systems Laboratory, where astronauts taste a variety of foods and beverages, cleansing their palates with crackers and water between samples. Each food item is rated based on flavor, texture, appearance, and aroma, and these ratings help the laboratory create sample menus.

Beyond food evaluations, scientists also collect astronaut feedback through crew debriefings. They closely examine the leftover food and trash from each mission, paying particular attention to what astronauts ate and what they left behind.

Astronaut preferences are crucial for improving both food options and packaging methods. Their suggestions often lead to the introduction of new foods or adjustments to packaging and storage techniques.

Around five months before their mission, astronauts select their meals from a list of over 200 food options [source: Johnson Space Center]. Dietitians then analyze the chosen menus to ensure they meet nutritional standards, adjusting meal plans if any deficiencies are detected before finalizing the selections.

Menus are carefully tailored to meet the individual nutritional requirements of astronauts, ensuring they fulfill the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamins and minerals. Scientists calculate each astronaut's caloric needs using a basal energy expenditure (BEE) formula provided by the National Research Council.

For women, the Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) formula is: BEE = 655 + (9.6 x W) + (1.7 x H) - (4.7 x A).

For men, the Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) formula is: BEE = 66 + (13.7 x W) + (5 x H) - (6.8 x A).

In these formulas, W stands for weight in kilograms, H represents height in centimeters, and A denotes age in years.

[source: NASA]

Besides focusing on nutritional and caloric requirements and astronaut preferences, dietitians also consider the crew's mental health. The Space Food Systems Laboratory ensures that comfort foods, often off-menu items like candy bars, cookies, and crackers, are included to lift the crew's spirits.

Research continues to explore the nutritional challenges faced during space flight, such as the increased radiation exposure in orbit, psychological impacts, and bone health. Scientists monitor astronauts' food intake, body weight, composition, and bone mass during shuttle missions and trips to the International Space Station to understand how adjustments to nutrition could mitigate these health risks in the future.

Menus are confirmed three months before the launch, with shuttle food contractors at the Space Food Systems Laboratory handling the packaging and storage of food for the mission.

In the following section, we'll explore the processing and packaging of foods at the Space Food Systems Laboratory. Additionally, we'll uncover the significance of each food package having a barcode and a colored dot.

Space Food Processing and Packaging

To guarantee the quality and safety of space foods, fresh produce like fruits and vegetables undergo minimal processing. They're cleaned with a chlorine rinse (200 ppm), air-dried, and placed on a tray to be stored in the fresh food locker. Items like carrots and celery are packaged in sealable bags, with a short shelf life that requires consumption within a few days of the mission to prevent spoilage.

NASA scientists employ specific techniques to make foods safe to store at room temperature. Heat processing, or thermostabilization, extends shelf life to three years. Irradiated foods are sterilized through ionizing radiation, making them shelf-stable. Reducing the pH and water activity of foods also aids in stabilization, while freeze-drying removes water to inhibit microbial growth and prevent mold by eliminating oxygen from packaging.

The shelf life of space foods is determined by observing changes in product quality through specific testing methods. Foods for shuttle flights must have a minimum shelf life of nine months, while those intended for the International Space Station need to last at least one year. Foods developed for future planetary missions or outposts should maintain a shelf life of five years, as noted by Iowa State University.

At the Space Food Systems Laboratory, food testing begins with sensory evaluations where astronauts assess food based on appearance, color, smell, taste, texture, and overall enjoyment. Following exposure to various time and temperature conditions, these evaluations are repeated to observe how the foods hold up under different conditions.

Scientists conduct chemical tests on food to analyze factors such as moisture, pH, water activity, nutrients, color, and texture, while also accounting for the effects of time and temperature changes.

The development of packaging materials and techniques aims to minimize contaminants. Considerations such as the materials' weight, shape, and waste are carefully evaluated during this process. Currently, Mylar®, Aclar®, and polyethylene are used for flexible pouches and containers, alongside traditional materials like foil pouches and aluminum cans.

Due to strict weight constraints on the ISS, where each astronaut is allotted only 3.8 lbs (1.7 kg) of food per day, and just 0.5 lbs (0.23 kg) per day on the shuttle, the lab is constantly working to develop new packaging solutions that reduce both weight and waste, as reported by NASA and Iowa State University.

Every food package is assigned a barcode and color-coded fabric fasteners that correspond to the astronaut's individual menu items. The barcodes are scanned by astronauts to log each food item consumed, with the data being used by the lab to help create future food selections.

Once the food products and menus are approved, they are handed over to the Flight Equipment Processing Contractor for packaging, storage, and preparation before being sent to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Two to three days before launch (or 24 hours for fresh foods), food lockers are loaded onto the shuttle, ready for space travel.

For additional information on space food and how astronauts eat while in space, visit the related resources provided on the next page.

How the NASA Space Food Research Lab Works: Author's Note

I'm fascinated by food science and technology. While I try to limit processed foods in my own diet, I find myself both intrigued and repelled by items like blue french fries and Tang. This curiosity led me to dive deep into the field of space food science for this project.

Space food has evolved considerably since John Glenn's era. In the early 1960s, astronauts had meals in pill form, but today, they typically consume the same foods we do, though processed and packaged in unique ways. What surprised me most was the extensive work done by the food science teams at the Johnson Space Center, from planning menus and evaluating food's physical and sensory properties to developing new food products and researching long-term storage and food processing techniques.

References

NASA Space Food Research Lab: Cheat Sheet

Key Information:

Test your knowledge with these fun quizzes!

Explore these amazing image galleries!