flipSpace Age Orange Powder Drink
Space Age Orange Powder Drink
Why this dish? Powdered fruit drinks, to be reconstituted with water, are inseparable from the imagery of the American space program of the 1960s that Armstrong embodies: easy to store, dose, and drink from a pouch. The first 'meal' on the Moon during Apollo 11 actually included a rehydrated fruit drink.
A tangy orange powder that you mix with cold water to get a bright, vitamin-rich, sweet juice: the 'space lemonade' of American households tuned into the lunar conquest.
People often ask what we drank up there. Nothing very romantic: water, and fruit powders we mixed in the pouch. Back on Earth, families started drinking the same powdered drinks, proud to share the astronauts' menu. It was convenient, it kept, it weighed almost nothing — and for an engineer, believe me, 'convenient and lightweight' are two qualities that rival any fine wine.
- •Sweetened and tangy orange powder — two spoonfuls (flavor base)
- •Water — a glass (rehydration)
Space Age Orange Powder Drink
A tangy orange powder that you mix with cold water to get a bright, vitamin-rich, sweet juice: the 'space lemonade' of American households tuned into the lunar conquest.
Why this dish? Powdered fruit drinks, to be reconstituted with water, are inseparable from the imagery of the American space program of the 1960s that Armstrong embodies: easy to store, dose, and drink from a pouch. The first 'meal' on the Moon during Apollo 11 actually included a rehydrated fruit drink.
People often ask what we drank up there. Nothing very romantic: water, and fruit powders we mixed in the pouch. Back on Earth, families started drinking the same powdered drinks, proud to share the astronauts' menu. It was convenient, it kept, it weighed almost nothing — and for an engineer, believe me, 'convenient and lightweight' are two qualities that rival any fine wine.
Ingredients (period version)
- Sweetened and tangy orange powder — two spoonfuls (flavor base)
- Water — a glass (rehydration)
Ingredients
- Oranges, juiced — 3 (fresh juice)
- Lemon juice — 1/2 lemon (bright acidity)
- Sugar — 1 to 2 tbsp (smoothness)
- Cold water — 300 ml (dilution)
- Pinch of salt — 1 pinch (enhances fruit)
- Ice cubes — as desired (chill)
Method
- Juice the oranges and half lemon.
- Mix juices with cold water, sugar, and pinch of salt until dissolved.
- Taste and adjust sugar/acidity for a bright, 'sparkling' balance.
- Serve well chilled over ice.
- 'Faithful' version: to show the space gesture, pour into a resealable pouch, add water, shake, and drink with a straw — just like in the module.
How it was made : Vitamin-fortified powdered drinks accompanied the American space program and became a common consumer product, marketed for their link to the missions. The logic was the same as for food: dehydrate to lighten, reconstitute with water once in orbit — or in the family kitchen.
The contemporary twist : Frost the rim of the glass with 'moon dust' sugar and serve with a bent straw like a spacesuit — an orange mocktail for a space-themed birthday party.
Sources : Charles T. Bourland & Gregory L. Vogt, The Astronaut's Cookbook, Springer, 2010 · NASA, Apollo 11 Press Kit, 1969
Neil Armstrong · Charactorium
