Space Food: Flexible Menus

The Skylab program in 1973 and 1974 had larger spacecraft and vast culinary improvements over menus used in Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury flights. Unlike previous space vessels, Skylab had enough space for a dining table—essentially a pedestal on which food trays were mounted. When dining, the three-astronaut teams would sit using foot and thigh restraints and eat in an almost normal manner. The food trays not only held the food in place but also warmed it; beneath three of the eight cavities in the trays were warmers that could increase the temperature of food to 151°F. Conventional knife, fork, and spoon were used, as was a scissors for cutting open plastic seals. Because it was relatively large and had an ample pantry, Skylab had an extensive menu of seventy-two food items.