Alcohol is generally disallowed inspaceflight, but space agencies have previously allowed its consumption.[1]NASA has been stricter about alcohol consumption than theRoscosmos, both according to regulations and in practice. Astronauts and cosmonauts are restricted from being intoxicated at launch. Despite restrictions on consumption, there have been experiments in making and keeping alcoholic drinks in space.
The effects of alcohol on human physiology in microgravity have not been researched, though because medications can differ in their effects NASA expects that the effects of alcohol will also differ.[2] Beer and other carbonated drinks are not suitable for spaceflight as the bubbles cause "wet burps"; also, a foamy head cannot form as the bubbles do not rise.[2]
On July 20, 1969,Apollo 11 astronautBuzz Aldrin drank some wine when hetook communion while on the Moon in theLunar ModuleEagle. The ceremony was not broadcast following earlier protests against religious activity that opponents believed to breach the separation between church and state.[3]
In the 1970s, NASA's Charles Bourland planned to send sherry with the astronauts visitingSkylab, but the idea was scrapped because the smell was found to induce a gag reflex in zero-gravity flight tests, there was ambivalence among the astronauts, and angry letters were received after plans were discussed in public byGerry Carr.[1][4][5] Alcohol is prohibited aboard theInternational Space Station due to the impact it can have on theEnvironmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS).[6]
A 1985 NASA report on extended spaceflight predicted that alcohol would be missed, but would only become common in stable settlements.[7]
The Russian state mediaRussia Beyond says drinking has been officially banned, but the first alcoholic drink sent into space by cosmonauts was a bottle of cognac, to theSalyut 7 in 1984.[8] CosmonautIgor Volk said they would lose weight and hide alcohol in their spacesuits or hide bottles inside book covers, andGeorgy Grechko discussed the difficulties of drinking in space as the liquid and air would mix to form froth.[8]
Cosmonauts aboardMir were allowed alcoholic drinks including cognac, vodka, and "ginseng liqueur", supposedly for health reasons, according to comments made by former cosmonautAlexander Lazutkin to the Interfax news agency in 2010.[6][1] CosmonautAlexander Poleshchuk said bottles of cognac would be hidden behind panels onMir.[9] American astronauts onMir watched while their Russian colleagues drank; NASA tried to block the release of photographs of a 1997 "cognac party" onboardMir, butJames Oberg of NBC News obtained them via a freedom of information request.[10]
In 2006, the ban on cosmonauts drinking on theInternational Space Station (ISS) was proposed to be lifted, though champagne was still regarded as too dangerous, as the pressurised bottle could have "unpredictable" recoil when opened, or explode while still sealed.[9] Crew care packages cannot contain any alcohol, even in aftershave or mouthwash.[4]
In July 2007, following a scandal in which astronauts were alleged to have flown while drunk, NASA said that its rules around alcohol were vague and introduced a new rule prohibiting astronauts from being "under the influence" and consuming alcohol within 12 hours of launch, based on the rules forT-38 training jets.[11][12]
A 3D-printed plastic whisky glass was designed for spaceflight in 2015, and whisky was sent to the ISS for four years to study the effect on its flavor.[4] One beer company sponsored a graduate student's research into brewing beer in space,[2] and in 2017 another planned to sponsor research on the ISS with the aim of serving beer on Mars.[13]
Making alcohol in space would be difficult; for example, conventional distillation would be impossible in zero gravity and the volumes of liquid required are high.[13]
On April 19, 2025, the first beer and gin were launched into space from Mt White Station, New Zealand as stabilisation ballast aboard Ethan Kosoof's Meraki II unmanned spacecraft. The rocket launched at 7:03am and crossed the Karman line into space at 7:05am before carrying on to apogee at 398,914ft above mean sea level, one minute later. This sets the current altitude record for both beer and gin. Meraki II's maximum speed was Mach 5.64 at 16.5km, now the current speed record for beer and gin.
150ml of 'The 42' by Room42 Brewery of Whatawhata, NZ was sealed into half of a vacuum-proof enclosure inside Meraki II. The 42 is a 6.4%ABV KPA beer, (Kiwi Pale Ale, an ale made with Pilsner malt), a style of hoppy ale with a light malt base that is popular in New Zealand.
150ml of 'Sweet Spot' by Redhead Distillery of Te Pahu, NZ was sealed into the other half of the ballast enclosure. Sweet Spot is a 43%ABV double-distilled gin made with all botanicals macerated in the kettle of a reflux still during final distillation. The gin basket consists of juniper and coriander seeds, cardamom pods, bay leaf and lemon zest.
It is unlikely that alcohol as a social beverage will find its way into space, at least until relatively large and stable settlements are established. Alcohol, as a recreational drug, may be keenly missed by space travelers, since there is evidence that alcohol plays an important social role in exotic environments (p.8) ... With this level of cultural acceptance, alcohol could find its way into space when resupply arrangements are in place and when storage capacity is plentiful ... It is reasonable to assume that substitute methods of gratification will be sought, perhaps including the use of alcohol or other diverting drugs. Alternately, the self-censuring which restricts competitive interaction in confinement may also preclude the use of drugs (p. 246) ... If alcohol or drugs were to be available in space, problems associated with grief responses could be aggravated (p. 261)
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