In 2017, ISS astronauts held the first zero-gravity DIY pizza party: How a simple craving for pizza turned into one of the space station’s most unusual meals

In December 2017, astronauts living high above Earth turned a simple everyday craving into one of the most unusual meals ever prepared in orbit. The Expedition 53 crew aboard the International Space Station held what has been widely described as the first pizza party in space.They assembled personal-sized pies in zero gravity, floated them through the cabin like Frisbees, heated them carefully, and then sat down for movie night with their floating creations. What began as a casual remark about missing a favorite food ended up becoming a lighthearted, memorable shared experience for the entire crew and a rare glimpse for people on the ground of how even the most ordinary comforts can still matter hundreds of miles above the planet.How a casual comment led to a special deliveryItalian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who had been living on the station since July in the year 2017, mentioned during a live public event how much he missed pizza, NASA’s space station manager, Kirk Shireman, took note.In mid-November, a commercial supply ship from Orbital ATK carried up the ingredients: Boboli flatbread crusts, tomato sauce, spreadable cheese, pepperoni, olives, olive oil, anchovy paste and pesto. The package was a thoughtful response to a homesick craving rather than a standard menu item.Assembling pizza when everything floatsA YouTube video from Nasa Johnson revealed that making pizza in microgravity is nothing like cooking on Earth. The crew fastened ingredients to a table with Velcro to keep them from drifting away. Sauce had to be squeezed carefully, toppings placed with precision, and the finished pies handled gently so nothing scattered.Once assembled, the astronauts tossed and twirled the small pizzas, watching them spin slowly through the cabin. Commander Randy Bresnik later described them as “flying saucers of the edible kind” by posting them on Twitter (now X).Movie night with an intergalactic twistAfter the floating demonstration, the crew heated the pizzas and settled in for movie night. Bresnik shared video and photos, writing that the team “had a blast channeling our inner chef by building tasty pizzas for movie night” as CBS news reported.He added a playful review from the newly formed “IPDS (Intergalactic Pizza Devouring Squad)” that gave the meal “12 thumbs up.” Nespoli, the original pizza enthusiast, simply called the result “unexpectedly delicious.”A small moment that felt like homeSpace food is carefully planned for nutrition, shelf life and practicality in a weightless environment. Meals are usually chosen from a set list of prepared options designed to keep crews healthy during long missions. Yet comfort foods still hold real emotional value when people are far from home for months at a time.The pizza night gave the multinational crew a shared, lighthearted experience that felt closer to ordinary life on Earth. It also showed how mission planners can respond to the human side of long-duration flights when the opportunity arises.For a few hours, the International Space Station felt a little more like a kitchen table for the crew. The floating pizzas, the careful assembly, the laughter and the simple pleasure of eating something familiar brought a moment of normalcy to an otherwise highly controlled and technical environment.Get the latest movie news, reviews, and celebrity updates. Download the TOI App.