The Curious Case of the Space Sandwich: A Cosmic Tale
Written on
Chapter 1: The Launch of Gemini 3
On March 23, 1965, astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young embarked on a historic journey aboard Gemini 3, marking the first American mission to carry two crew members. This mission not only achieved significant orbital maneuvers but also became infamous for an unexpected stowaway — a corned-beef sandwich that Young had sneakily brought along.
The 1960s and 1970s were dominated by a fierce space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, aiming for the ultimate goal of landing a human on the Moon. As part of this effort, NASA initiated the Gemini project to refine techniques for space travel. Young cleverly concealed the sandwich in his flight suit and shared it with Grissom while orbiting the Earth. They quickly discovered that crumbs were floating away, prompting them to stash the sandwich away.
“The sandwich was just a two-minute interval. It didn’t even have mustard on it. And no pickle.” — John Young
The sandwich originated from Wolfie’s Restaurant in Cocoa Beach, Florida, which sadly closed its doors in 2002. Wally Schirra, another astronaut known for his humor, had purchased the sandwich and gifted it to Young.
Section 1.1: The Political Fallout
The story of the sandwich reached the pages of LIFE magazine, igniting a storm of controversy among politicians.
The U.S. House of Representatives was less than pleased, initiating an investigation into what they dubbed a “$30 million sandwich” due to its potential jeopardy to the entire mission. Key NASA figures, including James Webb, the agency's administrator, were called to testify.
During the hearings, Representative George Shipley of Illinois expressed his disgust over the sandwich's smuggling, to which NASA official George Muller famously replied, “We have taken steps… to prevent a recurrence of corned-beef sandwiches in future flights.” From that point forward, NASA sternly advised astronauts against similar antics.
“…our superiors at NASA let us know in no uncertain terms that non-man-rated corned beef sandwiches were out for future space missions. But John’s deadpan offer of this strictly non-regulation goodie remains one of the highlights of our flight for me.” — Gus Grissom
Section 1.2: The Legacy of Gemini 3
During the flight, the astronauts noticed floating bread crumbs, which posed a risk to the spacecraft's instruments. They wisely decided to store the sandwich and returned it to Earth. Although the original sandwich is long gone, a replica has been preserved in resin and is now displayed at the Virgil I. Gus Grissom Memorial Museum in Mitchell, Indiana.
Recognizing the hazards of crumbs in space, NASA initiated the development of space-friendly tortillas. In the 1990s, Taco Bell produced tortillas with a nine-month shelf life, which were quickly adopted into NASA's space programs.
Gus Grissom was a candidate to be among the first astronauts to walk on the Moon but tragically lost his life during a pre-launch test for the Apollo 1 mission in 1967. John Young, however, went on to become the ninth person to walk on the Moon as part of the Apollo 16 mission and commanded the first Space Shuttle mission in 1981, where corned beef was once again featured on the menu — a nod to NASA's playful spirit.
Chapter 2: A Culinary Adventure in Space
In this video, we delve into the story of the astronaut who famously smuggled a sandwich into space, showcasing the humorous side of space exploration.
This video takes a closer look at the intriguing tale of "The Sandwich That Snuck into Space," highlighting the lighthearted moments of the Gemini 3 mission.