John Glenn was America’s first man to eat anything in the near weightlessness of Earth orbit.
Glen found the task of eating fairly easy, but found the menu to be limited.
Many Mercury astronauts had to endure bite-sized cubes, freeze dried powders, and semiliquids stuffed in aluminum tubes.
Moreover, freeze-dried foods produced crumbs which could foul instruments.
Several of the food issues from the Mercury missions were addressed in the Gemini missions.
Squeeze tubes were altogether abandoned.
With improved packaging came improved food quality and menus.
By the time of the Apollo program, the quality and variety of food increased even further.
These astronauts were also the first to eat out of a bowl with a spoon.
Eating in space improved further in Skylab.
Even a dining room and table were available.
Shuttle astronauts have an astonishing array of food items to choose from.
