ISS astronauts to brew coffee in space

June 17, 2014 10:40 pm | Updated 10:40 pm IST - London

The wait for a cup of coffee for astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) — 435 km above in the sky — will soon be over.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is all set to take an “ISSpresso” machine to the ISS this November, courtesy the Italian Space Agency (ISA).

“ISSpresso”, made by global coffee company Lavazza with engineering firm Argotec, is the first coffee machine able to work in micro gravity on the ISS.

The machine uses a normal Lavazza coffee capsule that is posted on top of the machine.

Water is aspirated and pressurised in a unique electrical system and is then heated.

The granules mix with the hot water and the coffee is piped into a pouch.

It is securely fastened to the machine using a “rapid coupling/uncoupling system”.

Astronauts drink the coffee straight from the pouch using a straw, media reports said.

“ISSpresso represents a technologically high-value project which will help improve our understanding of the principles of fluid dynamics and conditions in micro gravity,” Giuseppe Lavazza, vice president of Lavazza, was quoted as saying.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.