Compared to regular ice cream, it can be kept at room temperature without melting, is dry and more brittle and rigid, but still soft when bitten into.

The air pressure is then lowered below water's triple point, creating a partial vacuum, forcing air out of the chamber; next heat is applied, sublimating the ice; finally a freezing coil traps and turns the vaporized water into ice.

The only evidence for freeze-dried ice cream ever having flown in space is the menu for the Apollo 7 mission, on which is it listed for one of the meals.

[9][10] According to one NASA food scientist, although freeze-dried ice cream was developed on request, "it wasn't that popular.

"[11] Astronaut Mike Massimino expressed dislike of freeze-dried ice cream, calling it "disgusting" and "more closely related to a building material than a food".