We all love a good cup of Joe in morning to get our engines fired. This is especially the case if you have a somewhat stressful job that requires a lot of concentrating.
Now, there is no job that is quite as stressful as being an astronaut, mapping out the stars and researching galaxies for us mere Earthlings.
Unfortunately, astronauts had to make due without a morning, caffeine-laden kickstart up in space. That is until now, when they can finally get the jumpstart they need, just as they would on Earth.
Over the past weekend, astronauts at the International Space Station enjoyed their first cup of espresso, thanks to their new espresso machine that was designed specifically to give you the shot you need in zero gravity conditions.
The machine, called the ISS-presso (we see what you did there…) made its way to the International Space Station in April on board a SpaceX Dragon capsule. It finally arrived over the weekend, to aid these burnt out astronauts.
The ISS-presso machine was developed by the Italian Space Agency (naturally – because Italians know how important coffee is) in partnership with Argotec, an engineering company as well as famed Italian coffee maker, Lavazza.
You can then imagine that the quality of coffee is pretty good, considering. However, what about the astronauts that aren‘t fans of coffee?
Not to worry, the ISS-presso machine can also make tea and even broth along with a slew of other “˜hot liquids.‘
Along with the impressive espresso machine, the Italian Space Agency and their partners also developed a zero gravity cup – called the Zero-G Cup – to devour the delicious coffee in.
This is the first time a cup has been used in space. Previously, astronauts had to drink through straws and bags.
According to NASA, this new zero gravity cup will also help people “œon the ground“ to learn how to administer medicine to the astronauts more effectively.
Of course, the first astronaut to enjoy a good cup of fancy Italian espresso is Italian astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti.
Cristoforetti is of the European Space Agency, and proudly showed off her first cup of coffee in space on Twitter – because yes, even in space Twitter is popular.
In a photo posted to Twitter on Sunday (with a nod to Star Trek), Cristoforetti wrote:
“œ“˜Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised…[sic] Fresh espresso in the new Zero-G cup! To boldly brew.“
We all know that “˜space food‘ looks less than appealing, so it‘s great to see hard working astronauts enjoying a cup of really good coffee and getting wired in space.
Source: Mashable
