Capri Sun takes a swing at an eclipse with limited 'Moon Punch' drink

a foil drink bag with a glowing full moon on its label sits on a lunar surface

Capri Sun "Moon Punch" is the brand's first limited-edition flavor to come in collectible glow-in-the-dark pouches. (Image credit: Kraft Heinz)

Capri Sun now shares another thing in common with NASA.

The juice brand and space agency are already using the same foil for their drink packages. Now both are headed for the moon.

Capri Sun is launching "Moon Punch," a limited-edition "cosmically cherry-flavored juice" that will come in the brand's first-ever glow-in-the-dark pouch. Rolling out across the United States later this month, Moon Punch will come in eight different design pouches, each featuring one of the phases of the moon.

The release is timed to coincide with the total lunar eclipse that will be visible from most of North America overnight tonight (Wednesday to Thursday, March 13-14). Also known as a "Blood Moon" given its reddish hue, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon align and the entire moon moves within the darkest part of Earth's shadow.

"Whether you grew up drinking from the iconic pouch or are one of the millions of kids who name Capri Sun as their favorite drink, we strive to create moments of fun and discovery, helping to unleash peak kid energy with every poke of the straw," said Jessica Barker, senior brand manager for brand communications at Capri Sun, in a statement. "Playing off the iconic brand name, we're looking from the sun to the moon for the very first time!"

"Moon Punch is here, and it's glowing," said Barker.

an rendering of eight foil drink bags each with a different phase of the moon on its label — The eight Capri Sun Moon Punch collectible, glow-in-the-dark foil pouches each depict a different phase of the moon, from "full" to "new." (Image credit: Kraft Heinz)

For a chance to get one of the first pouches, open your phone's camera through the Snapchat app, take a photo of the moon and then follow the resulting link for an opportunity to receive a free carton of Moon Punch and a flashlight "to help light up the night sky."

Otherwise, Moon Punch will be available for a limited time from Amazon, Walmart, Target and Kroger, among other retailers.

Though unrelated to the drink, NASA is also glowing with excitement about the moon as its Artemis program draws closer to returning astronauts to Earth's nearest neighbor. Earlier this month, two of the agency's commercial partners landed science experiments on the moon, with more to follow, and the Artemis 2 crew is entering their final year of training before becoming the first astronauts to fly around the moon since the end of the Apollo program more than 50 years ago.

When Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen lift off on the Artemis 2 mission (currently targeted for 2026), their drinks will be in the form of dehydrated juices, tea and coffee packaged in the same type of foil as used by Capri Sun for its pouches.

several silver foil pouches with labels and plastic straws with clamps — NASA's drink packages for the International Space Station use the same foil laminate as is used for Capri Sun juice pouches. (Image credit: NASA)

— What will happen during the total lunar eclipse of March 2025?

— Food in space: What do astronauts eat?

NASA adopted the foil laminate pouch in the early 1990s as space shuttle mission durations grew longer, requiring more compact food packaging. Today, the drink pouch used aboard the International Space Station is a longer version of a Capri Sun package, which is equipped with an added septum to fill the pouch with water. (The same opening is used to insert a straw.)

Since 2010, the European Space Agency has also used a pouch specially designed by Capri Sun to fly its astronauts' drinks.

According to the Capri Sun announcement, the Moon Punch collectible pouches were designed to not only engage customers but also emphasize the brand's ongoing commitment to the format, "keeping the iconic offering at the forefront for fans of all ages."

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Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, a daily news publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018.In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History. In 2023, the National Space Club Florida Committee recognized Pearlman with the Kolcum News and Communications Award for excellence in telling the space story along the Space Coast and throughout the world.

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