In 1985, Mexican scientist Rodolfo Neri Vela requested tortillas on his mission on the space shuttle Atlantis. The tortillas became a hit with astronauts because they didn't spoil easily and there were no crumbs, which were dangerous to the equipment. NASA got its supply of tortillas from a local restaurant in Houston called Tierra Luna Mexican Grill, but the fresh tortillas didn't stay viable for long enough. NASA then tried to make their own, but they only stayed good for about six months which was not long enough for the International Space Station. In the 1990s, Taco Bell introduced tortillas that could last up to a year with no degradation in the tortilla, and NASA began using the Taco Bell tortillas in their space missions.
