In the 1970s, NASA was trying to figure out how to make space flight more comfortable for its astronauts. One of their best ideas was to improve the quality of space food. Instead of dried chunks of inedible powder, they started adding frozen foods, wet-packed meals, and perishables to the menu. Soon, astronauts would enjoy delicacies like spaghetti and prime rib—and even a little alcohol.
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Charles Bourland, the man in charge of choosing wine for the Apollo program. Not only did he have to find something tasty, he needed a wine that could stand up to the rigors of space travel. Since NASA couldn’t load a rocket with heavy, clunky bottles, Bourland needed to find a wine that wouldn’t lose its flavor after repackaging. Working with researchers at the University of California, Bourland finally decided upon sherry. Sherry, a fortified wine, is heated during processing. This stabilizes it, so it is unlikely to change after leaving the bottle.
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Sherry was poured into a special plastic bag with a built-in straw. All astronauts had to do was squeeze the pouch, and they could enjoy a nice sip of wine. Yet the plan didn’t exactly worked out.When the public learned of the plan, teetotalers around the nation rose up in righteous anger, convincing NASA to pull the plug on the sherry experiment. It also turned out that wine, in zero-gravity, released an unpleasant odor, and it seemed unwise to add unnecessary nausea to the astronauts’ many problems.
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The sherry didn’t go to waste. While the wine didn’t end up in outer space, it did end up as part of the SMEAT (Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test) program.