The science of astronaut food

The dehydrated "astronaut food" that NASA sends with its astronauts is often considered unappetizing, and there's a good reason for that. Food prepared for space travel must be lightweight and nonperishable, and dehydration is a common method to further reduce its weight. Since hot dogs can't easily be turned into a powdery form, Apollo 11 opted to pack them in thermostabilized wet packs, along with other meals like turkey with gravy and beef and chicken potato stews. Today, NASA also employs specialized zero-gravity drinking cups to help astronauts drink their coffee safely.
Interestingly, Apollo 11 wasn't the last mission where astronauts enjoyed hot dogs in space. During the challenging Apollo 13 mission in 1970, a lighter moment captured in NASA's official flight journal featured crew member Jim Lovell humorously referring to his hot dog as a sandwich. Given that it lacked the traditional bun, it may have resembled a rather flat frankfurter. Lovell also expressed regret for topping his hot dog with ketchup instead of the mustard that NASA had planned for — a choice that would likely be deemed unacceptable by Chicagoans.
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