# Interplanetary Meal Rations NASA has Released Images of Astronauts Meals from the Last 50 Years By Tia Clarke | Published 2013-02-01 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/astronaut-food References: [designboom](http://www.designboom.com/art/50-years-of-nasas-space-food-packaging-documented/) & [nasa](http://www.nasa.com) You’ve probably spent countless hours of your life wondering about the contents of an astronaut's lunchbox and what they eat to sustain themselves as they orbit around the earth’s atmosphere. Luckily, [NASA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ar-nasa-app) has just released archived images of the vacuum-packed goods that its astronauts have eaten over the last 50 years. Amazingly, a lot of the astronauts food is much more appetizing than the meals you get on a standard commercial flight. The images display an advancement in food preparation standards for crew members, ranging from basics like crackers and seeds to decidedly more fancy meals like [vacuum-packed shrimp and meats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zero-microgravity). There are even a couple of sneaky sweet treats like [M&M’s](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pbj-packed-lunch-specials) in there. The images show trays from the 70s with special spaces to avoid things getting messy in anti-gravity atmospheres. Photo Credits: [designboom](http://www.designboom.com/art/50-years-of-nasas-space-food-packaging-documented/class=FourteenG) | [NASA](http://www.nasa.comclass=FourteenG) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.4/10 - Popularity: 13% | Activity: 21% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Science](https://www.trendhunter.com/science) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Space Food Evolution:** The evolution of space food presents an opportunity to develop manufacturing processes that optimizes taste and nutrition while retaining its structural integrity in extreme environments. - **Packaged Food Innovation:** Innovations in packaging technology to ensure the preservation of food quality and shelf life can lead to opportunities in the commercial food industry. - **Nutrition for Travelers:** Development of nutrient-dense, portable meal rations can provide healthy and convenient food options for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food Manufacturing Industry:** By conducting research on improved space food manufacturing techniques, the food manufacturing industry can develop better ways of delivering quality food in extreme environments that can also cater to commercial applications. - **Packaging Industry:** The production of innovative and eco-friendly packaging solutions can provide businesses with practical ways of preserving the quality of food products. - **Travel and Outdoor Retail Industry:** Developing nutritious, shelf-stable meals can create a new line of food products for retailers that cater to travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Freeze-Dried Ice Cream Bites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coco-fro.md) - [Playful Space-Themed Desserts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spacethemed-dessert.md) - [Space-Bound Condiments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bring-taste-to-space.md) - [Moon Mission-Inspired Dessert Boxes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artemis-ii.md) - [Intergalactic Chicken Nuggets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/space-nuggets.md) - [Galactic Atmosphere Restaurants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spacevip.md) - [Space-Themed Dog Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freeze-dried-dog-treat.md) - [Freeze-Dried Ice Cream Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freeze-dried-ice-cream-sandwiches.md) - [Made-for-Space Tortilla Chips](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cool-ranch-zero-gravity-flavored-tortilla-chip.md)