No, Apollo 12 did not carry a can of tuna. The “can of tuna” story is a persistent myth that likely confuses the mission’s actual food packets with a later, unrelated incident involving a tuna sandwich on Gemini 3. Apollo 12 astronauts Conrad, Gordon, and Bean ate specially prepared, lightweight space food — not commercial canned goods — during their November 1969 mission to the Moon.
Where the Tuna Myth Comes From
The confusion stems from two separate NASA events. In 1965, Gemini 3 pilot John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich (not tuna) onto the spacecraft, a famous breach of protocol. The sandwich was never eaten because it crumbled and floated around the cabin. The other source is the Apollo 7 mission in 1968, which carried a small can of tuna as part of a food test, but Apollo 7 was an Earth-orbit mission, not a lunar one. Apollo 12’s official food list, documented in NASA’s post-flight reports, includes rehydratable entrees like beef stew and chicken soup, but no canned fish.
What Apollo 12 Astronauts Actually Ate
Apollo 12 carried a food system developed by the U.S. Army Natick Laboratories and Whirlpool Corporation. The menu included:
- Rehydratable packets: beef stew, chicken and rice, and cream of chicken soup
- Bite-sized cubes: sugar cookies, date fruit cake, and bacon squares
- Freeze-dried items: scrambled eggs and shrimp cocktail
- Beverages: instant coffee, tea, and orange drink
Each astronaut had a personal food tray with a water gun that injected hot or cold water into the packets. The food was eaten with a spoon from the packet, or directly as a cube. The crew reported that the food was palatable, though Conrad noted that the shrimp cocktail was the most popular item.
Why Canned Tuna Would Be a Bad Idea in Space
Commercial canned tuna would be impractical for spaceflight for several reasons:
- Weight and volume: A typical 5-ounce can weighs about 140 grams, while a rehydratable meal packet weighed about 40 grams.
- Water content: Canned tuna is about 70% water, which is heavy and unnecessary when freeze-dried alternatives exist.
- Packaging: Cans create sharp edges when opened, and the liquid could float away in microgravity.
- Odor: Tuna’s strong smell would linger in a small cabin with no ventilation to the outside.
NASA’s food specifications required that all items be shelf-stable, low-crumb, and easy to rehydrate. Canned tuna meets none of these criteria.
The Real Tuna Incident in NASA History
There was one genuine tuna-related food event in NASA history, but it was not Apollo 12. During the Skylab missions (1973–1974), astronauts had a freezer on board, and the menu included canned tuna as part of a regular food system. Skylab was the first U.S. station with a refrigerator/freezer, and it carried a variety of canned goods, including tuna, which was eaten with rehydratable bread. This is likely the source of the myth: people remember a tuna can in space and attach it to the more famous Apollo 12 mission.
How Space Food Was Prepared for Apollo 12
The Apollo food system went through a rigorous process. Each item was tested for nutritional content, shelf life, and ease of consumption in microgravity. The food was packaged in a flexible plastic laminate that could withstand the vacuum of space and the heat of reentry. Before flight, the crew sampled the menu and rated each item on a 1–9 scale. Items scoring below 6 were replaced. The final menu for Apollo 12 was designed to provide about 2,500 calories per day per astronaut, with a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The crew ate three meals a day, timed to their sleep cycle.
Common Misconceptions About Apollo Food
Many people believe that all Apollo food was freeze-dried and tasteless. In reality, Apollo 12 had a variety of textures and flavors. The astronauts also had condiments like salt and pepper in liquid form (to prevent clumping), and they could add hot sauce to improve taste. Another misconception is that the food was eaten from tubes like toothpaste. That was true for early Mercury missions, but by Apollo, food was in rehydratable packets and bite-sized cubes. The Apollo 12 crew even had a spoon, which was a first for NASA — previous missions used straws to suck food from pouches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Apollo 12 carry any canned food at all?
No. The Apollo 12 food manifest lists no canned items. All food was either rehydratable, bite-sized, or in squeezable tubes. The only canned items on Apollo missions were on Skylab, which had a refrigerator and a different food system.
What did Apollo 12 astronauts think of the food?
Commander Pete Conrad said the food was “pretty good” in post-flight debriefings, though he and his crewmates preferred the shrimp cocktail and the bacon squares. They also reported that some items, like the chicken and rice, needed more water than expected to rehydrate properly.
Why do some people say Apollo 12 had a tuna can?
The confusion likely arises from a 1968 Apollo 7 test that included a small can of tuna, and from Skylab’s later use of canned tuna. Because Apollo 12 was the second Moon landing, it is often the mission people recall when thinking of early space food, so the tuna story gets attached to it.
Was the Gemini 3 sandwich tuna or corned beef?
It was corned beef. John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich on board, and after it floated around, the crew returned it to a pocket. The incident was criticized by Congress, but Young was not punished.
Could astronauts eat fish on the Moon?
No. The Apollo 12 lunar surface stay was only about 31 hours, and the crew ate only one meal on the surface, which was a rehydratable beef stew. There was no way to cook or heat food on the Moon, so everything was eaten cold or at room temperature.
Legacy of Apollo 12 Food
The Apollo 12 food system was a stepping stone to later space cuisine. The lessons learned about packaging, rehydration, and taste helped develop the Skylab food system, which included a wider variety of foods and even a freezer. Today, astronauts on the International Space Station eat from a menu that includes canned tuna, but that is a direct descendant of Skylab, not Apollo 12. The myth of the Apollo 12 tuna can persists because it is a simple, memorable story, but the historical record is clear: no tuna was on board the Yankee Clipper.
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