Italy is to make its own unique contribution to the final frontier of space exploration – decent coffee.
The Italians have invented a coffee machine that can function in space and will provide a much-needed caffeine kick to hard-working astronauts.
It will be installed on the International Space Station later this year, giving cosmonauts the chance to relax with a caffe lungo (black coffee) or an espresso after a hard day of scientific research.
The machine, called ISSpresso – a neat combination of the space station’s acronym and espresso – is the result of collaboration between Lavazza, one of Italy’s best known coffee companies, Argotec, an aerospace engineering company and the Italian Space Agency.
The 20kg machine can function in zero gravity and is made entirely of steel components that can withstand huge pressures. It can also whip up a quick cup of tea, as well as broths that can be used to rehydrate dried space meals.
“Italian coffee is a beverage without borders and we have been thinking about taking the espresso into space for some time,” said Giuseppe Lavazza, Vice-President of Lavazza.
“In fact, today we are in a position to overcome the limits of weightlessness and enjoy a good espresso — the indisputable symbol of made in Italy products — on board the International Space Station.”
The machine, which uses coffee capsules, is able to function in “microgravity conditions“, said David Arno, managing director of Argotec.
It will be delivered to the space station in November by Italy’s first female astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti, who is a captain in the Italian air force.
She will “not only be the first Italian woman to go into space, but also the first astronaut in history to drink an authentic Italian espresso in orbit”, the company said.
The idea is that the coffee machine will act as a social hub for weary astronauts, “a venue for getting together, chatting and relaxing – an aspect that should not be ignored in missions that keep the astronauts away from home for many months in a very challenging environment", Lavazza said.