Astronaut Foods

Astronaut Foods is a family-owned specialty snack manufacturer based in Boulder, Colorado, best known as the original producer of freeze-dried astronaut ice cream since 1974. The company was founded after NASA approached them in the early 1970s with the challenge of freeze-drying ice cream for space travel, and they have maintained that pioneering position in the freeze-dried snack category for over 50 years. All products are manufactured domestically at their solar-powered Boulder facility, proudly carrying a Made in the USA designation.

The company's core product line centers on freeze-dried ice cream, offered in a variety of flavors including the iconic Neapolitan ice cream sandwich. Using the process of lyophilization, they remove approximately 98% of the moisture content from real ice cream, resulting in a shelf-stable, ready-to-eat snack with a three-year shelf life that requires no refrigeration. This same freeze-drying technology is applied to their Fruit on a Mission line, which includes freeze-dried strawberries, bananas, peaches, and cinnamon apples. The freeze-drying process preserves the nutritional content of the fruit while delivering a crunchy, concentrated flavor profile.

Astronaut Foods distributes its products broadly across North America, Europe, and Asia, with retail presence in museums, toy shops, amusement parks, and outdoor specialty stores. The brand has a strong connection to the STEM education community, with products used by educators to introduce students to concepts in planetary science, space technology, and food science. The company holds STEM.org certification and Space Foundation certification, underscoring the educational credibility of its products as authentic representations of space food technology.

As a 1% for the Planet member, the company donates at least 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes. The brand occupies a unique niche in the CPG snack market, blending nostalgia, novelty, and genuine space heritage into a product line that appeals to children, families, outdoor enthusiasts, and science education markets alike. Its deep-rooted NASA heritage, multi-decade brand history, and vertically integrated domestic manufacturing distinguish it within the freeze-dried snack category.