Chocolate in Space

"The Rich and Flavorful History of Chocolate in Space":

The most common form of chocolate flown today and throughout the 35-year history of the space shuttle program is M&Ms -- or as NASA refers to them, “candy-coated chocolates”. Even now, M&Ms are part of the standard menu for astronauts serving stints aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Small volumes of the colorful candies are prepared in clear, nondescript packaging for each mission.

“M&Ms not only serve as foods for the astronauts, but also as entertainment,” Pearlman says. “Astronauts will often release handfuls of them and then catch them with their mouths as the pieces float around.”

In many ways, M&Ms are the perfect space snack. They are bite-sized and, unlike other candies and foods, aren’t likely to crumble. “M&Ms are singular pieces that you can eat very easily, and you can eat multiples of them at one time. And because you’re not likely to bite one in half, you won’t make a mess,” Levasseur says.