Foods Astronauts Can’t Eat In Space



Manned spaceflight began in 1961 when Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin took man’s first flight beyond the earth’s atmosphere. Ever since then, man has been exploring space through a variety of missions, including the International Space Station, which has housed astronauts and cosmonauts for periods of up to a year. Nevertheless, life in space wouldn’t be possible without specialized foods that are consumed in orbit and beyond. Unfortunately, there are some foods that are impractical in a microgravity environment, and no......that doesn't include tomatoes. 

  • BREAD: The space program has long avoided bread because it lacks the structure and shelf life needed to work as space food. Instead, astronauts use tortillas. 
  • ALCOHOL: Russian cosmonauts have long had a tradition of consuming limited quantities of alcohol in space, but NASA astronauts are barred from having a drink in space. 
  • SALT AND PEPPER: Granular spices like salt and pepper can make for a huge mess in microgravity. Instead, NASA developed liquid alternatives for astronauts to use. 
  • SODA: The carbonation in beverages like soda acts differently in space. As a result carbon dioxide bubbles remain in the liquid, as opposed to being released as gas for an effervescent pop. This can cause digestive discomfort, so Coke, Pepsi, etc. remain on the ground. 
  • ICE CREAM: There is no evidence of ice cream ever having flown in space. Because of the brittle and crumbly nature of dehydrated ice cream, even that could interfere with sensitive equipment and make for a dusty environment in microgravity.