Celebrating 10 Years of Food for Flight
This year marked the 10th anniversary of the NASA HUNCH Culinary Challenge, a national competition where high school students develop space-ready meals. Held at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the top 10 teams competed for a chance to send their pasta-based dishes to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
📍 Finals at Johnson Space Center
On April 8, JSC’s Food Lab Market transformed into a full-scale competition arena, with 10 cooking stations and a panel of 24 judges - including astronauts, food scientists, and top chefs. Each team had just 2 hours to prep, cook, and plate their dish before service. Students worked in full culinary gear, slicing, sautéing, and plating under pressure while families, visitors, and NASA staff looked on. At noon, teams presented their meals to a panel of 24 judges - including astronauts, chefs, and food scientists - explaining their recipe choices, preservation methods, and how their meals met NASA’s strict nutritional guidelines. Judges evaluated not just flavor, but also the students’ understanding of spaceflight needs, teamwork, and communication - turning the event into a showcase of culinary and scientific excellence.
Judges Included:
- 👨🚀 Astronauts Luca Parmitano & Jacob LaSarge
- 🍽️ Michelin-star Chef Emmanuel Chavez
- 🧪 NASA Food Scientists & Scholarship Partners
Finalist Dishes from Across the Globe
Teams hailed from across the U.S. and one from Luxembourg:
- Phoebus HS (VA): Rasta Pasta
- Wekiva HS (FL): Spinach Linguini w/ Creamy Mushrooms
- RCTC (MI): Cajun Fettuccini
- Luxembourg: Chicken Ravioli
- (And more!)
The finalists’ pasta dishes on display together.
Each dish met NASA’s strict nutritional standards - low sodium, high fiber, shelf-stable - and was preserved using either freeze-drying or thermostabilization.
Among the standout teams was Phoebus High School from Virginia, whose bold and colorful Rasta Pasta earned them first place. Wekiva High School from Florida impressed judges with their creamy mushroom linguini made using nutritional yeast to simulate Parmesan flavor while meeting sodium limits. The team from Luxembourg, dubbed The Gastronauts, brought a refined chicken ravioli that showcased both technical skill and cultural flair. Each team brought a unique culinary perspective - some incorporating toasted spices for depth, others using arugula or ginger for spice without sodium - all with the shared goal of creating a meal worthy of orbit.
Judge Reflections
Chef Emmanuel Chavez
“I would never have imagined being able to go to NASA, get a private tour, and then judge a cooking competition. It was an incredible experience from a personal perspective - just as I’m sure it was for the students to be a part of it.”
Astronaut Luca Parmitano
“These are ingenious kids that express their aptitudes in ways that are unconventional.”
The Science of Space Food
Space cuisine has to do more than taste good - it has to perform. NASA's dietary constraints are designed to support astronaut health in microgravity:
🧂 Low Sodium – reduces fluid retention
🌾 High Fiber – supports GI health
❌ Low Sugar/Fat – promotes cardiovascular fitness
🌶️ Flavor Stability – spice must not intensify over time
And the Winners Are...
🥇 First Place: Phoebus HS (VA) – Rasta Pasta
🥈 Second Place: Wekiva HS (FL) – Spinach Linguini
🥉 Third Place: RCTC (MI) – Spicy Cajun Fettuccini
"If you weren’t hungry before, you were by the end."
Click here for the full story of the Hunch Culinary Challenge (page 26) in School Nutrition Magazine.