NASA has invited the public to share a virtual dinner with the final space shuttle crew on Thursday, July 14, encouraging everyone to prepare grilled chicken, barbecue brisket, baked beans and southwestern corn at home using NASA's recipes.

Food scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston prepared the special "All-American Meal" for the STS-135 shuttle crew, as the iconic American spacecraft makes its last voyage. The four shuttle astronauts, and possibly the six International Space Station crew members, are scheduled to eat the meal on the fifth day of the STS-135 mission.

"Since the mission is in July, we thought it would be fun to have a typical summer meal often enjoyed in our backyards with friends and family," said Michele Perchonok, NASA food scientist and manager of the shuttle food system.

The crew's All American menu begins with crackers, brie cheese and sausage. The main course features grilled chicken, Southwestern corn and baked beans. The meal concludes with the quintessential American dessert, apple pie. The shuttle and station crews both have the meal on their menus, but the station crew has barbecued brisket as the entree.

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The crackers, brie, sausage and apple pie are commercial off-the-shelf products repackaged for spaceflight. NASA food scientists prepared the chicken, brisket, corn and beans in a laboratory at Johnson before the mission.

NASA is providing continuous television and Internet coverage of the mission. NASA TV features live mission events, daily status news conferences and 24-hour commentary.

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