Artemis II menu prompts jokes about astronauts eating better than people on Earth

Social media users reacted to NASA's published Artemis II crew menu, highlighting dishes like barbecued beef brisket, vegetable quiche and a mango‑peach smoothie; NASA said the meals are selected for nutrition, shelf life and ease of use in microgravity.

NASA released the Artemis II crew menu ahead of the mission. Social media users shared the menu and many responded with lighthearted jokes about how the astronauts will be eating. The Artemis II mission launched on April 1 and will send four astronauts around the moon on a planned test flight. NASA said the food choices are made to support crew health while meeting the spacecraft's constraints. Key details: - A post on X by the @PopBase account shared a screenshot of the full menu and drew more than 135,000 views and dozens of comments. - The menu includes items such as barbecued beef brisket, vegetable quiche, broccoli au gratin and macaroni and cheese; beverage options noted include a mango‑peach smoothie, chocolate and strawberry breakfast drinks, coffee and green tea. - NASA said the food flying on Artemis II is designed to support crew health and performance, and that with no resupply, refrigeration, or late-load capability meals must be safe, shelf-stable, and easy to prepare and consume in Orion. - Food selections were developed with space food experts and with crew input; crew members sample and rate foods during preflight testing and selections are balanced with nutritional needs and spacecraft constraints. - Two to three days' worth of food for each crew member is packed together in a single container to allow flexibility during the mission, and the Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center carrying Orion and its crew on the test flight. Summary: Social reactions emphasized the menu's variety and contrasted it with meals on Earth. NASA describes the selections as a technical balance of nutrition, safety, shelf life and ease of preparation in microgravity. The Artemis II flight launched on April 1 and will carry four astronauts on a planned test flight around the moon and back.