Steak & Egg Breakfast

[Chad]

Vickie, when I was a kid I recall a big deal being made about the steak & egg breakfast the astronauts enjoyed (we presume ) before launch. Do you know how that tradition got started? Do shuttle astronauts still have a hearty breakfast?

Thanks,

Chad

[Vickie Kloeris]

The last meal prior to launch on the ground has always been at crewmember request. Often, that last meal is breakfast on launch day. The steak and eggs were there simply because crewmembers requested them and that type of breakfast was very popular in that time period. We take requests from crewmembers for their last meal prior to launch. Sometimes now, it is not breakfast, but may be lunch, depending upon the timeline for that first mission day.