Menu for Spaceflight (1964)

Produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, this government film takes a closer look at the production and consumption of space food. The weightless conditions of space travel complicate the usually simple task of eating. Utensils are near-impossible to use; crumbs must be avoided, lest they float about the spacecraft and interfere with technological equipment; and the food must be as compact and light as possible in order to maximize space requirements. The solution: freeze-dried food. The film illustrates the processes of dehydration and reconstitution.