Italian astronaut to bring espresso machine into orbit

Naturally. It’s an interesting little article, actually (check out the machine diagram). Brewing science is complicated and finnicky enough on Earth, let alone in the microgravity environment on the International Space Station. Check out the article over on NPR’s blog. Snippet below:

Of course, drinking coffee up in space still won’t be the same as sipping it down here on Earth. Classic Italian espresso comes with a creamy layer of foam on top. But that foam may behave a lot differently in space, Avino says. “It will most likely spread around the whole container.”

And the astronauts will have to drink it out of a sippy pouch so the hot liquid doesn’t float away from them. It’s not quite as elegant as drinking from an espresso cup.

Given that it’s Lavazza and brewed like a Keurig, it’s probably pretty foul tasting – but, as the article mentions, hopefully it’s a step up from the instant coffee they were drinking before!