This Unexpected Beverage Was Buzz Aldrin's First Drink On The Moon

From the audio of Neil Armstrong's historic first words on the lunar surface to the grainy photos and video, iconic footage has given Americans insight into the sights and sounds of the first lunar landing. But what were the tastes the astronauts experienced during that unforgettable event? There's a little-known story about Buzz Aldrin's first drink on the moon — a small serving of sacramental wine — that may help you appreciate the moment even more.

The drink most often associated with astronauts is Tang, a shelf-stable beverage mix that was also a popular breakfast drink in the 1960s. Aldrin's thoughts on Tang were far from an endorsement, and besides, he had another drink in mind for such a life-changing occasion. As an elder in the Presbyterian church, Aldrin prepared for the first moon landing by getting special permission from church leaders to serve himself Holy Communion. He packed bread and wine for the small ceremony in space. When the lunar module landed, Aldrin asked his colleagues on the other end of the communication lines to serve a moment of silence and give thanks in their own way before he took a sip of sacramental wine on the surface of the moon.

Tales of humans sipping drinks in space may make you think of the cantina scene in "Star Wars," but there is a history of alcohol in space. Russian cosmonauts were allowed to drink cognac on their country's missions, although alcohol is now banned at the International Space Station due to concerns that it might interfere with the water filtration system. NASA and other space programs have run tests on the effects of alcohol in low gravity, and French researchers have designed a special champagne bottle that can be popped in space, preparing for parties as part of space tourism in the future.

For now, astronauts are more likely to drink recycled water, although they have access to flavored beverages including coffee, tea, and lemonade (astronauts eat some weird foods, too). They have to drink from straws used with specially designed containers because of the low-gravity situation, but Aldrin drank from a metal chalice when he took communion on the moon. Aldrin described what it looked like when he poured the wine in an October 1970 issue of Guideposts magazine: "In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup. It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements."