Doritos’ new safe-for-outer-space chips set for blastoff

( NewsNation ) — Doritos is launching a new limited-edition flavor which will be the first Doritos safe for microgravity while raising funds for childhood cancer research.

For almost 60 years, Doritos have been banned from outer space because the “dust” and crumbs from them could threaten spacecraft systems. Now, food scientists at PepsiCo ’s Frito-Lay have figured out how to make Doritos safe for space.

The new product, Cool Ranch Zero Gravity Doritos, used an oil-based coating instead of the usual powdered topping to remove the dust problem. The chips are also a mini version of regular Doritos.

In a partnership with St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Doritos has made the new product available to fans who donate to St. Jude’s. The company is also making a $500,000 donation to advance St. Jude’s efforts to raise awareness and fund childhood cancer research and treatment.

The new product is going to be sent into space on the Polaris Dawn, a commercial mission on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft scheduled to launch on Aug. 26. This mission will see four private astronauts become the first people to eat Doritos in space, as well as perform the first commercial spacewalk and reach an altitude above Earth not achieved by a human spaceflight in over 50 years.

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