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As astronauts continued to push the boundaries of space exploration, food technology advanced as well. The Gemini missions expanded the menu, and astronauts enjoyed a variety of meals, although they often consumed less than half of their caloric allotment due to taste issues and bodily pressures in space. The most notable meal was the Christmas dinner enjoyed aboard Apollo 8 in 1968, which utilized a new packaging technique called wet packing that preserved moisture and flavor better than prior methods. This positive experience set the stage for more enjoyable meals during lunar missions.