[Apollo 14]

From the Personal Collection of Apollo 14 CMP Stuart Roosa.

SPACE FOOD FROM THE COLLECTION OF APOLLO 14 CMP STUART ROOSA

Apollo 14 astronauts had both dehydrated, cubed foods and freeze-dehydrated foods. The cubed foods, like the bacon bars in the present lot, were solid foods compressed, dehydrated, and vacuum-packed in plastic. These solid foods were then rehydrated by the astronauts’ saliva as they chewed. 

All food and beverage packs for each astronaut were stored in aluminum packages that were then color coded for specific crew at specific meals. Red velcro indicated it was meant for mission commander Alan Shepard, blue velcro indicated food for Lunar Module Pilot Ed Mitchell, and white velcro for Command Module Pilot Stu Roosa. The Apollo 14 astronauts’ menu released by NASA featured bacon squares as a breakfast item for Roosa as a part of Meal C on 3 and 5 of the mission. Pantry Stowage documents list 12 total packs of bacon bites included in the astronauts’ pantry from days 6 through 10 of the mission.  

Lunar flown food is rare as it was made to be consumed or disposed of on the mission itself. 

REFERENCES

Apollo 14 Crew Menus enclosed “Memorandum to DC/Chief, Preventive Medicine Division from DC71/Food and Nutrition. Subject: Apollo 14 GFE FRR Preboard,” 8 Dec 1970. NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas.