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How To Make Espresso In Space

Posted by timothy on from the they-finally-saw-airplane-II dept.

In a story that's sure to bring to the surface the long-debunked myth of an over-elaborate NASA quest to create a pen to operate in space, Wired reports that the coffee situation aboard the International Space Station is about to improve: the station will be getting a 20kg, custom designed Lavazza espresso machine, to be delivered along with Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. Among other differences from terrestrial espresso machines: the resulting beverage must be pumped into a straw-friendly bag rather than a demitasse. I wonder if there could be some way to adapt a (much lighter) Aeropress for space purposes, as a backup.

192 comments

  1. Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by __aajfby9338 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now I want a machine that can make an iced latte in zero G.

    1. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by quenda · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Last I heard, it cost around $20k/kg to lift cargo to orbit. Add in the extra weight of beans vs instant, and the world will finally see (albeit from a distance) coffee even more overpriced than Starbucks'.

    2. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by TWX · · Score: 2

      Between the price of the coffee and the price and complexity of the machines I thought that modern coffee shops were an example of the technological developments of the space program working their way back into terrestrial use...

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    3. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Cryacin · · Score: 3, Funny

      You use approximately 20g of coffee beans to make a shot. Thus, you are talking $400 per shot. And for this delivery price, you are serving Lavazza?!?

      --
      Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
    4. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by TWX · · Score: 1

      Well, things do become somewhat less expensive when their tech developments no longer involve actually going to space...

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    5. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by daninaustin · · Score: 1

      Where did you get the $20k price? I am finding $60-$80k/kg.

    6. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by __aajfby9338 · · Score: 3, Funny

      I'm talking lattes here wait until you see the bill for lifting the cow into space!

    7. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Maybe China...

      Ok, that joke's getting old.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    8. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The machine is a Lavazza. One would hope the beans are something else.

      --
      Mostly random stuff.
    9. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by jonwil · · Score: 2

      The astronaut going into space is an Italian. One would assume he would have advised the relavent space agencies on how to select the best coffee to send up there.

    10. Re: Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Red Bird would do. http://redbirdcoffee.com/products/red-bird-espresso

    11. Re: Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Screw that machine. Gimme a station ops manual, the tail end of a roll of duct tape, a straw and my stash baggie. We' ll have some damn good concentrate and build whatever hiptster coffee you want.

    12. Re: Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      .....forgot the Aeropress. Most important part of the post.

    13. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by timothy · · Score: 1

      "One would assume he would have advised the relavent space agencies on how to select the best coffee to send up there."

      She :)

      --
      jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
    14. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Concerned+Onlooker · · Score: 1

      It had better be kopi luwak for that price.

      --
      http://www.rootstrikers.org/
    15. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by gl4ss · · Score: 2

      well the italian aspect certainly explains why they would spend the 20kg on a coffee machine.

      and it's a capsule machine. but it has pipes that could withstand 400 bar of pressure. Why? I haven't got the slightest clue. but that still doesn't explain the weight. for the dimensions the frame has to be half inch steel or some shit like that(they actually claim its for some backup system, the weight, I don't know if it has some fluid suckup machine or something in case it leaks).

      on the other hand, since the capsules can contain other stuff, you can also use it for a hot chocolate.

      20 kg's to orbit for a fucking capsule coffee machine to make coffee that you drink out of a bag.

      but I still can't get my mind around the fact that they used space age highest technology for making something that's 20 kilos and pumps water out of one bag, heats it up and pushes it into another.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    16. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      The machine is developed by argotec. I would assume that the capsules are Lavazza.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    17. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by dbIII · · Score: 1

      If they sponsored any of the process then it's a bit rude to use something else.

    18. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by agentgonzo · · Score: 1

      20g of coffee? What kind of rocket fuel are you making? It's normally 7g of coffee per shot. I'm not sure a triple-shot would be the best thing for a bunch of 'nauts in a tin can.

    19. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by gstoddart · · Score: 2

      but it has pipes that could withstand 400 bar of pressure. Why? I haven't got the slightest clue

      My espresso machine is rated for 15 bar and probably weighs 2-3 kilos or so since it's made of heavy steel. 9 bar is pretty much the minimum to make espresso and actually get crema.

      I assume it's been heavily over-engineered because having your espresso machine malfunction in space would make a horrible mess. If my espresso machine leaks, it dumps water and grounds on my counter -- in space, it would be worse espresso grind is almost a powder.

      But due to the nature of pressurising a liquid to pass it through a capsule of ground coffee beans in a highly sensitive scientific environment, some precautions have been taken.

      Again, over engineered for safety.

      on the other hand, since the capsules can contain other stuff, you can also use it for a hot chocolate.

      Well, they don't send children into space just yet, so nobody actually needs that. ;-)

      but I still can't get my mind around the fact that they used space age highest technology for making something that's 20 kilos and pumps water out of one bag, heats it up and pushes it into another.

      As an espresso drinker ... If I was going to be in space for an extended period of time ... being able to occasionally have a proper espresso would be awesome. If we're going to colonize space, the little luxuries will be really important. The Italians are just bringing a little dolce vita to space.

      According to Giuseppe Lavazza, who undertook this project as a personal challenge, the most common feedback from astronauts revealed one of the most missed commodities in space is the humble espresso. The introduction of a "corner cafe" is expected to help overcome the isolating and challenging environment astronauts have to work in, while also giving them a little home comfort while they float hundreds of miles above their own.

      And, apparently, the astronauts agree. Who wouldn't like a little comfort from home, and a little pick me up after a space walk?

      Alas, probably no good biscotti though. ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    20. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since Starbucks is a US thing and the ISS passes ~250 miles overhead everywhere, most will see it from LESS of a distance than Starbucks...

    21. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Richy_T · · Score: 2

      Lifting not required. The cow jumped over the moon.

    22. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you think starbucks is overpriced, you should hit Café Intermezzo.

    23. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      You use approximately 20g of coffee beans to make a shot.

      Not quite.

      A single shot of espresso is about 7g of coffee. A double is, therefore, about 14g.

      Thus, you are talking $400 per shot.

      So, really, it's a bargain at $133 per single shot of espresso. ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    24. Re:Putting the "Star" in Starbucks... by jfengel · · Score: 1

      At 200 miles up, it's further from Starbucks than any point on the planet.

  2. yuck epresso by iggymanz · · Score: 0

    can they make lattes. no interest if they can not

    1. Re:yuck epresso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No syrups or whipped cream either? I'd hardly call it coffee!

    2. Re:yuck epresso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      No need. They only send REAL men and worn into space.

    3. Re:yuck epresso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did anyone else read this as spoken in swish and ended with a limp wrist?

    4. Re:yuck epresso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Milk makes me vomit. Of course I'd already be vomiting and freaking out. I wouldn't need espresso. Maybe Valium or a big doob. Has anybody smoked in space? You know it's going to come up at some point.

    5. Re:yuck epresso by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      funny, I'm mainly a tea drinker but the pansy coffee drinkers at work can't take the smoked lapsang souchong and colonial black tea I like, say they're too strong

    6. Re:yuck epresso by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I never got the whole syrup thing. Coffee needs no flavoring. It has a flavor already. Its flavor is called COFFEE.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re:yuck epresso by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Then why the espresso machine? REAL men chew the beans.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    8. Re:yuck epresso by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Funny

      Should introduce them to the coffee my mom used to make. The recipe for it ends in "and if the horseshoe sinks you didn't use enough coffee".

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    9. Re:yuck epresso by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

      No need. They only send REAL men and worn into space.

      What the hell's a "worn"?

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    10. Re:yuck epresso by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      but combine with the other divine flavor and caffenie/theobromine agent in the universe, and you have mocha

    11. Re:yuck epresso by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

      My brother always said his friend's family would make several pots of coffee per day, but not empty the old grounds until night. Just put a new scoopful on top. So the coffee got progressively more robust throughout the day.

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    12. Re:yuck epresso by Shinobi · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Heh, that sounds like the coffee made in Sweden or Finland.

      It's always funny to see people from around europe and north america try to drink coffee as made in Sweden or Finland, while Swedes and Finns generally regard coffee made by anyone else as too watery.

      When I was in Kosovo, with the Swedish KFOR unit, we had some people from the US 502nd PIR come over to to our PX/café to try our coffee, and most of them had to thin it out to drink it, they weren't used to having it that strong. And they didn't believe us when we told them that it was not a special military brewing, but instead just ordinary brewing as most swedes who drink coffee would appreciate it.

      Common complaints from tourists is that even McDonalds and Starbucks coffee in Sweden is way too strong.

    13. Re:yuck epresso by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      REAL men chew the beans.

      Hard guys pass the beans through their own intestinal tract, Kopi Luwak style, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K... . . .

      . . . and then chew them.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    14. Re:yuck epresso by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 2

      A worm/human hybrid-- they are similar in a lot of ways to to Dougal Dixon's Homo caelestis, but as with a lot o Biopreperat's work, the ethics are a bit muddled, so the worn program tries to keep a low profile.

    15. Re:yuck epresso by CRCulver · · Score: 1

      I must say, I really don't get what you mean by Finnish coffee being stronger. When I moved to Finland to study, after living for some time in espresso- and Turkish-coffee-dominated countries, I was surprised to see that Finns were using the same watery drip coffee process as Americans. The only really unusual thing about coffee here is that people drink rather more of it than elsewhere.

    16. Re:yuck epresso by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Ah. Now I get it why mom said the only good coffee she ever got (aside of her own) was during our stay in Sweden.

      Personally, I do without coffee. But she pretty much couldn't exist without her 3-4 liters a day.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    17. Re:yuck epresso by camperdave · · Score: 2

      Coffee needs no flavoring. It has a flavor already. Its flavor is called COFFEE.

      Is that you, Sid?

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    18. Re:yuck epresso by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      No. But I can very well relate to him. I'm old, jaded and can remember the times when life was good and code was C.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    19. Re:yuck epresso by billstewart · · Score: 1

      After being exposed to Turkish coffee, my reaction has been "if the spoon falls over, your coffee's not strong enough."

      But even when diluted by emigration to America, some parts of Scandinavian coffee culture remains. My experience with various church groups has been that the Lutherans (and spinoffs of Swedish Lutheranism) make better coffee than the Methodists I grew up with, and Southern Baptists make worse coffee (they're really iced tea people.)

      --

      Bill Stewart
      New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    20. Re:yuck epresso by oobayly · · Score: 1

      Denis Leary - Coffee flavoured coffee.

    21. Re:yuck epresso by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Fair enough, trying lapsang souchong was my worst tea experience of my whole life. Was like kissing a girl that smokes (also something I won't do ever again).

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    22. Re:yuck epresso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry for the bad mod point. Stupid mouse hiccuped. Meant to give a "funny".

    23. Re:yuck epresso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      After being exposed to Turkish coffee, my reaction has been "if the spoon falls over, your coffee's not strong enough."

      But even when diluted by emigration to America, some parts of Scandinavian coffee culture remains. My experience with various church groups has been that the Lutherans (and spinoffs of Swedish Lutheranism) make better coffee than the Methodists I grew up with, and Southern Baptists make worse coffee (they're really iced tea people.)

      And the tea's pretty nasty. If it tastes like tea instead of like sugar, you're doing it wrong, in the South.

    24. Re:yuck epresso by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Mochas make a bitchin' backup plan for when you're out of fresh milk. Just buy some sweetened condensed milk on sale, it will keep unopened nigh-eternally without separating like irradiated milk will. The down side is that it's sweetened, so you can only use it for sweet things... like mochas :)

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    25. Re:yuck epresso by sh00z · · Score: 1

      Has anybody smoked in space? You know it's going to come up at some point.

      I remembered hearing something about smoking on Mir. This article was the fisrt I stumbled on when I just googled it.

    26. Re:yuck epresso by TheCarp · · Score: 1

      Might be better to go with........dabs......in......spaaaaaaaace

      Seriously though, would be easier on the air filters. Also.... doob and coffee....doob AND coffee. Its like yin and yang man.

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
    27. Re:yuck epresso by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You could always try evaporated milk. It keeps just as long.

      I don't know how it would taste in coffee, but It's great in black tea and hot cocoa.

    28. Re:yuck epresso by Eunuchswear · · Score: 1

      I'm old, jaded and can remember the times when life was good and code was C.

      You're not old.

      --
      Watch this Heartland Institute video
    29. Re:yuck epresso by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Thanks, you're sweet.

      But I am. Let's face it, when your answer to an all-night coding marathon to create some cool toy is that you'd rather take a nap, you're old.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    30. Re:yuck epresso by gstoddart · · Score: 1

      Well, it's like the old joke with the bulls ... let's walk down and fsck them all.

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    31. Re:yuck epresso by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      "Latte" means milk. They already have that on the ISS. Glad to see you're not interested in a place you'll never go.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    32. Re:yuck epresso by jsrjsr · · Score: 1

      And the Norwegian Lutherans make stronger coffee than do the German Lutherans. I'm used to Norwegian Lutheran coffee but I've been attending a German Lutheran church. The coffee is REALLY thin compared to what I'm used to. Interesting how traditions hold up over a hundred years or so.

    33. Re:yuck epresso by GNious · · Score: 1

      I never got the whole syrup thing. Coffee needs no flavoring. It has a flavor already. Its flavor is called COFFEE.

      It is also called several other things, most of which are profanities too harsh for the majority of the inter-tubes.

  3. Plebs , the lot of you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Non of this latte and syrup crap , macchiato master race

    1. Re:Plebs , the lot of you by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      >calls people plebs for adding crap to coffee
      >drinks macchiato

      Coffee black, or go home.

  4. Just like other coffee multinationals by hamster_nz · · Score: 2

    I wonder if they will sell them special space-rated coffee beans at highly enflated prices in order to move any profits back to tax havens?

    (See http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/targ... if you miss the joke)

    1. Re:Just like other coffee multinationals by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Well, at least that ISS coffee's price will have some kind of justification. If you want to see coffee that works like printer ink (from the price model as well as the taste), check out this.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:Just like other coffee multinationals by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Thank you for being the humorless prick who diverts an interesting discussion back to the same old political points. We just don't get enough of that at Slashdot and your post has really enhanced the discussion here.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  5. Short black with one by aXis100 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    How do they add sugar!!!

    Look, I love coffee as much as the next guy but when they are replacing 20kg of scientific payload with a 20kg coffee machine (plus the pods and waste management), they might have their priorities a little skewed. If they'd spent the money on produging a better freeze dried espresso, all of humanity could benefit.

    1. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do they add sugar!!!

      I'm guessing you're American.

      Good coffee can be drunk black.

      Notwithstanding taste, once you start adding sweeteners and dairy products, you're not in it for the taste of the coffee, but for the taste of the other stuff. To each his own, simply using beans and water can create a wonderful beverage which doesn't have to 'adulterated' with other ingredients.

    2. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You obviously don't understand the importance of morale. In small, confined spaces shared with other humans, small comforts take on incredible significance. Real, fresh espresso is amazingly delicious - freeze drying can never replace it.

      The joke I heard on the tour of the diesel submarine (the USS Blueback) permanently parked in OMSI is that the most important part of the submarine is the ice cream machine.

    3. Re:Short black with one by OzPeter · · Score: 2

      once you start adding sweeteners and dairy products

      Americans don't add dairy products. Instead they add this thing called "creamer" for which I have no idea how it relates to a cow.

      Plus, given that the nostalgic view that Americans as a culture have with regards to coffee revolves around brownish sludge in a piece of glassware that wouldn't look out of place in a laboratory; I'm not even sure they're starting with coffee.

      --
      I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
    4. Re:Short black with one by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      It's a Lavazza machine.

      So by your definition it should be absolutely impossible to drink it black. The question stands.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A launch on an Atlas V rocket will easily exceed $10,000 per kilogram to launch a payload in to anything resembling an earth orbit. That's at least a $200,000 espresso machine. On the other hand, we just spent more than $5 trillion we didn't have over more than ten years blowing civilians up and occupying countries that didn't want us there, only to have them fall again the minute we even started to leave. Coffee in space suddenly sounds more appealing. Good on NASA. Coffee in motherfucking space; it's easily among the top 10% of reasonable US federal government expenditures despite being technically unnecessary.

    6. Re:Short black with one by WhoBeI · · Score: 1

      You save it on training time. I would take me, oh, 3-4 months of constant training before I could convince my brain that crappy freeze dried stuff is drinkable.

    7. Re:Short black with one by jonwil · · Score: 1

      I cant find an exact figure but I know the cost to send it up on a SpaceX Falcon Rocket is a fair bit less than $10k per KG.

    8. Re:Short black with one by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      You can get a decent cup of coffee from an Aeropress, and the upside is it takes up neither a lot of space nor a lot of mass. I think all told the whole thing is ~200g; it also makes some pretty good coffee.

    9. Re:Short black with one by hubie · · Score: 2

      They're trying to figure out if ants can be trained to sort tiny screws in space.

    10. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would an Aeropress work in low gravity?

    11. Re:Short black with one by techno-vampire · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Personally, I prefer mine with cream and sugar because I find that for me it enhances the flavor. In fact, I add raw sugar to the half and half for my morning espresso before foaming it so that even the foam is sweetened. If you like yours "black and bitter," have at it, but don't expect me to join you.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    12. Re:Short black with one by camperdave · · Score: 1

      Wikipedia says $4109/kg

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    13. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Judging by the content of your message, you like your beans astringent.

    14. Re:Short black with one by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      There's nothing dangerous about a floating bubble of boiling water, is there?

    15. Re:Short black with one by M8e · · Score: 4, Funny

      And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords!

    16. Re:Short black with one by jatoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you like yours "black and bitter," have at it, but don't expect me to join you.

      The idea is that good coffee isn't bitter.

    17. Re:Short black with one by billstewart · · Score: 1

      Traditionally we use half&half (causing the rest of the world to ask for a translation; it's a thinner cream that's halfway between milk and whipping cream.) It's available in little ultrapasteurized single-servings as well as fresh.

      But if keeping the dairy products refrigerated isn't convenient, there are powdered imitations that deserve the contempt you've expressed, and liquid imitations that are excuses for corn syrup and artificial flavors, and also non-dairy creamers for people who can't tolerate lactose or want something that's kosher to use at a meat meal.

      My high school chemistry/physics teacher would boil water in a beaker over a bunsen burner to make his instant coffee with. The water was hard enough that the beaker had a sludge just from that.

      --

      Bill Stewart
      New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
    18. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      You should try coffee some time, you'd probably like it.

      If the stuff you are drinking is bitter, then you are doing it wrong. Good coffee is strong, rich, with an aftertaste that lasts for minutes, and no bitterness. Good coffee tastes as good as it smells. Really.

      You need:

      • Good beans (arabica only. No robusta whatsoever.)
      • Properly roasted
      • French press (for light roasts) or
      • Espresso machine (important that it has consistent temperature)

      It's not actually hard to make good coffee. You don't need to be a barrista to do it.

      Just use good beans; don't overheat the water; and don't let it stew.

      But, I have never had an even acceptable cup of coffee anywhere in North America. Other countries make great coffee. I'm sure there must be decent coffee somewhere in NA, but so far it's eluded me.

    19. Re:Short black with one by techno-vampire · · Score: 0

      Is Cafe Gevalia Espresso Roast good enough quality for you? It's the only blend I ever use. And, of course, "black and bitter" is just an old expression to describe coffee straight from the pot with nothing added.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    20. Re:Short black with one by dbIII · · Score: 1

      but when they are replacing 20kg of scientific payload

      I think they have spare capacity by now (but of course it does mean extra fuel).

    21. Re:Short black with one by dbIII · · Score: 1

      The question stands.

      Or floats :)

    22. Re:Short black with one by gl4ss · · Score: 0

      10 bucks per kg? HAHAHAHAHAH AHHAHAH HAHAHAH HAHAH AHHAHAHAHA

      where the fuck did you get that information? elon musk lied it to you when fucking you?

      I only wish you could send 1kg for 10 bucks from Finland to Thailand! let alone to space...

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    23. Re:Short black with one by TapeCutter · · Score: 4, Funny

      Instead they add this thing called "creamer" for which I have no idea how it relates to a cow.

      I'm an Aussie, many moons ago I was in a bar in Amsterdam talking to a Dutch guy and a bloke from Chicago. The American asked "What's wrong with the milk over here, it goes off after 3-4 days in the fridge?", the dutchman and I nearly died laughing.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    24. Re:Short black with one by TapeCutter · · Score: 2

      He didn't say $10, he said $10k, you missed the 'k', HAHAHAHAHAH AHHAHAH HAHAHAH HAHAH AHHAHAHAHA.....cough...splutter...wheeze.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    25. Re:Short black with one by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      yeah, I claim innocence of having any faults and that the government in this asian country censored the K. I mean k.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    26. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 2

      If you've got boiling water anywhere near coffee beans, you're doing it wrong.

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    27. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Chocolate covered coffee beans. No muss. Spill-free.

      (Captcha "seizure" lol)

    28. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      It's never easy learning to suppress the gag reflex. Or so I've heard.

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    29. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Could be that Lavazza has agreed to give them a generous donation in return for a good old (mutually beneficial) publicity stunt?

    30. Re:Short black with one by hubie · · Score: 1

      Too bad. We actually make an on-topic reference to one of the most overused memes on Slashdot, and not a single point of moderation love is thrown our way. Kids these days just don't know their history. :)

    31. Re:Short black with one by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      Personally, I prefer mine with cream and sugar because I find that for me it enhances the flavor.

      Nope. Cream may bring out some flavors in the coffee that you can't otherwise taste, because it's fat and some of that stuff might be fat-soluble. But sugar can only ever hide the flavor in the coffee. Fetishism aside, if you come up with coffee that hasn't been sitting a long time and grind it fresh, there won't be so many undesirable flavors in it that need to be masked that way.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    32. Re:Short black with one by coofercat · · Score: 1

      Creamer is made using the other 'cows' in the field that aren't busy making the (real) milk ;-)

    33. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The best one I ever heard was in reference to 'spray cheese': "I love cheese, but I hate all that slicing".

      say what now?

    34. Re:Short black with one by Ihlosi · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Look, I love coffee as much as the next guy but when they are replacing 20kg of scientific payload

      Coffee is scientific payload. You don't want your experiments to fail because the involved researchers were under-caffeinated.

    35. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think coffee snobs would like the coffee you mention.

      1. It's burned. pretty much all beans taste the same if you use an "espresso roast"

      2. It's stale. Purists would say that the coffee goes stale within minutes of grinding, and a couple weeks after roasting.

      If you want points with coffee snobs, you have to mention your local roaster, or the fact that you have a batch fedexed to you every two weeks, and that you like it roasted "a little beyond first crack".

    36. Re:Short black with one by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      I have had extremely good results using an Aeropress and good-quality beans that I grind myself. When done right, it makes coffee that has no bitterness at all, even if allowed to cool to room temperature.

      Coffee that tastes as good as it smells is something everyone should try at least once in their lives.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    37. Re:Short black with one by JLavezzo · · Score: 2

      Sorry, but this anecdote fails at explaining any cross cultural confusion. Was he buying something that wasn't milk? Your setting is Amsterdam, is this funny because he was buying drugs, not milk? Was he buying old milk because he didn't understand the expiration system? Is it funny that someone would have the expectation that a refrigerator would keep something fresh for more than 4 days? Is the joke that he thought milk that smelled like milk instead of an industrial product was 'off'? I'm genuinely interested in your insight here, especially because it earned a "5, Funny".

    38. Re:Short black with one by Mondor · · Score: 1

      Aeropress doesn't make Espresso. You can make a decent cup of coffee from instant powder as well.

    39. Re:Short black with one by Mondor · · Score: 1

      That's the original way of making coffee. There is nothing wrong with it. Some coffee drinks are made with boiling water, some - with ice cold, without brewing.

      And Jeremy is right, using that plastic syringe in ISS is impossible. Or at least - using it safely.

    40. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      There's nothing wrong with it as long as you enjoy scalding the beans and extracting extra bitter compounds. You shouldn't really go above 95 degrees Celsius when making coffee. When I use my Aeropress, I usually go for around 80 degrees or so and like you said, cold brewing is also fine.

      I like to think that there's a progression of how to make good coffee (with the first items being the easiest to do):

      1) use hot, not boiling water. Just wait about 90 seconds after boiling a kettle to get a suitable temperature.
      2) use proper coffee rather than instant.
      3) stop using a drip filter machine - they over-extract the middle and under-extract the outside of the filter basket.
      4) grind your own coffee with a burr grinder (burr grinders provide a consistent grain size to enable consistent extraction) - once ground, coffee starts to lose a lot of flavour withing minutes.
      5) roast your own coffee - once roasted, beans lose their freshness after 3 weeks or so. (Unroasted/green beans can easily keep for about 18 months without degrading).

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    41. Re:Short black with one by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Aeropress reccomends 175 F, which is still hot enough to cause third degree burns.

    42. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The rest of the world sees milk as something for babies. Americans have bizarre eating habits.

      I shit you not, the captcha is "coronary"

    43. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the rest of the world, milk is a fresh product which spoils quickly.

      In America, it will last for weeks due to all the additives.

      The rest of the world expects milk to spoil. Americans are just spoiled and have lost sight of where food comes from.

    44. Re:Short black with one by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      An aeropress doesnt rely on gravity, it relies on manually created air pressure. Attach a funnel / baggie to the service end of the aeropress, brew as normal, drink from your baggie.

    45. Re:Short black with one by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      Fun fact: Deer park water coolers with a "hot" spigot put out ~175-180 degree water-- which happens to be the optimal Aeropress temperature.

      And honestly if you're using an aeropress with proper temp water, whole beans etc are all not that important-- your coffee is already better than 80% of the stuff commonly drunk (drip, keurig). I have done fresh ground Jamaican Blue Mountain (from Trader Joes), and compared to pre-ground Kirkland columbian (3lb tub) and while JBM is definitely "better" its not really that big a difference.

    46. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      I've always found JBM to be over-rated. I think there was a period of time when it was excellent, but once it started becoming sought after, they started churning out tons of sub-standard coffee from the region just because people would pay a premium for it.

      I do think that the freshness of the beans makes a big difference, but it's not easy for most people to get hold of freshly roasted beans without spending more money. Supermarket coffee beans are hopelessly stale (and don't even get me started the staleness of pod coffee).

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    47. Re:Short black with one by Richy_T · · Score: 1

      Creamer is basically more sugar if you look at the ingredients. Its ubiquitousness here is a large part of the reason I now drink my coffee black.

    48. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      Yes, but I'm more concerned about the coffee being made correctly than whether someone burns themselves or not.

      Priorities.

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    49. Re:Short black with one by Richy_T · · Score: 1

      Not sure how long ago your anecdote is but most milk in the US is homogenized which, indeed, lasts a lot longer than the milk I grew up with as a child in the UK. It's still milk though and I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the world was moving to this method as it allows milk to be kept on the shelf longer.

    50. Re:Short black with one by Richy_T · · Score: 1

      You can find decent cheese in the US but you have to look hard and it's usually imported. Good bread is even harder to find.

    51. Re:Short black with one by Mondor · · Score: 1

      What you are making with your Aeropress is Americana. Espresso, for example, is made with nearly boiling water. Bialetti "percolators" make perfect Espresso, using the power of boiling water, which pushes itself through the grind coffee. I wouldn't call Americana a "progression" from Espresso. Or from "proper" spiced African creamy coffee, which is a totally different thing. And I'm not even talking about the coffee you may get in coffee shop in Amsterdam.

      For space, Espresso is better, as it consumes less water.

      There are filter machines (Dutch Technivorm, for example) which produce coffee of very high standard (of Americana). In my opinion, a way higher quality than Aeropress. And they waste less coffee in process. By Nordic standards, which are most coffee consuming of all (followed by Euro and American, if I remember right), you need 60 grams of ground coffee per 1 liter of water. For Aeropress, you need to go beyond that for the same result. For space travel that would mean a higher price of a shot.

      Regarding the instant coffee - it depends from what is your source. Something tells me, that if you brew your perfect coffee and then freeze-dry it, you will get result of a higher quality than anything you could buy in shop. Except for mentioned coffee shop, of course.

      I assume that bringing that 20kg machine to Space was PR stunt of Lavazza, otherwise I see no reason to not use the high quality instant coffee. If they need coffee in space anyway. Besides, if they have a coffee machine in Abrams tank, why not to have it in space station?

    52. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      The Aeropress doesn't make Americano per se, but it's somewhere in-between espresso and americano in strength. For the record, espresso should be made with 95 degree Celsius water - I doubt that you can get a "perfect" espresso with boiling water. I tend to think of Aeropress coffee as a distinct type of coffee as it produces a distinct strength/flavour that you don't get with other methods.

      I've never encountered any instant coffee that is anything but a very poor approximation to properly made coffee. I don't know what part of the making/freezing process destroys the flavour, but there is a huge difference.

      I personally think they should use a variant on the Hario vacuum brewers just due to the whole pressure/gravity scientific nature of them.

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    53. Re:Short black with one by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      I don't like cold brewed... I brew at 200f (93c) and pour directly over ice if I want cold coffee.

    54. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      I've never tried cold brewed myself, but I've heard lots of reports from people who swear by it. I'm an Aeropress man myself, but I do like espressos when they're properly made - I've just never bothered spending enough money on a decent grinder to make proper espressos myself.

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    55. Re:Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure I get it. Milk that goes bad after a few days in the fridge DOES have something wrong with it. I buy raw (unpasteurized) milk and it doesn't go bad that quickly. If Dutch milk does, then it can't be actual milk, so what is it?

    56. Re:Short black with one by jsrjsr · · Score: 1

      You can find decent cheese in the US but you have to look hard and it's usually imported. Good bread is even harder to find.

      Not real hard to find good cheese if you live in Wisconsin. Just need to look for the small cheese companies.

    57. Re:Short black with one by 3.5+stripes · · Score: 1

      Bialetti makes Mokas, which is not espresso (good for making coffee for tiramisu). Espresso is basically translated as express, as the biggest thing about an espresso, is it's about 30 secs from grinding to drinking.

      --


      He tried to kill me with a forklift!
    58. Re:Short black with one by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      I'm kind of a coffee enthusiast even tried chocolate and java been chip cookies... they were good but I couldn't eat more than one without bouncing off the walls.

    59. Re:Short black with one by MooseTick · · Score: 1

      Yeah. Its so hard to find a Kroger :/

      Mine has probably 75 different cheeses from all over the world. If you can find a Whole Foods, you will probably have even more variety. Its not that hard to find anything anymore.

      --
      Ninjas don't carry tic tacs
    60. Re:Short black with one by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      A well made cup of coffee does take the edge off the pain, yes.

    61. Re:Short black with one by samwichse · · Score: 1

      Um, I just checked, and the ingredients on my American milk container says (hilariously enough):

      Ingredients: milk

      It's just pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized, which makes it last longer than a couple days.

    62. Re:Short black with one by hawkinspeter · · Score: 1

      I've been roasting my own beans for a few years now. I started off using a hot-air popcorn maker to roast very small batches and after a few years of that, I ended up buying a home roaster and roast a batch a week on average.

      --
      You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    63. Re: Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, boiling is bad on ISS.
      IIRC, you get 72 degrees C water and that's it. You also don't want something to suddenly demand 2KW for a minute.
      I had to redesign my micro-g fondue centrifuge into a fondue gun once I found out. Also, realising that American (astronauts) regard fondues as something that has to do with cheese and chocolate and not broth helped me get on the right track.

    64. Re:Short black with one by penguinoid · · Score: 1

      For the record, espresso should be made with 95 degree Celsius water - I doubt that you can get a "perfect" espresso with boiling water.

      Easy, just brew your coffee at about 1400 meters elevation.

      --
      Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    65. Re:Short black with one by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

      I don't think coffee snobs would like the coffee you mention.

      Personally, I lump coffee snob in with audiophules. The only difference is that instead of claiming to hear differences that don't show up on an oscilloscope, they're claiming to taste differences that food chemists can't detect.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    66. Re:Short black with one by SwedishPenguin · · Score: 1

      It seems American milk is quite often Ultra-High-temperature processed, the only place I've seen that here is tiny milk cartons intended for use in coffee where there is no refrigeration. Interesting, I knew American (and some other countries) milk lasted longer and I never quite liked the taste of it, now I know why. It's not restricted to the US though, it's quite common in many countries.
      http://www.foodrenegade.com/ju...
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U...

    67. Re:Short black with one by SwedishPenguin · · Score: 1

      Not really true, milk is a common drink in many countries around the world.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...

    68. Re:Short black with one by Richy_T · · Score: 1

      Kroger has some acceptable cheeses. Decent is a bit more of a stretch. Whole foods is where it's at.

    69. Re:Short black with one by Agent0013 · · Score: 1

      I get completely RAW milk straight from the cow. I even have to bring my own jars to put it in as the law is that the farmer cannot sell it in containers. It lasts a full week in the fridge before it starts to go off. I have even used the cream for a few days more than a week.

      I guess if you got milk from the store it would have spent a few days sitting on the shelf before you buy it, so perhaps it isn't that big of a difference.

      So are you saying your milk in the store is unpasteurized? That's awesome if you have raw milk in the store. The US has made that illegal. You have to go through some extreme steps to be able to sell milk that is not pasteurized here. And don't even think of taking it across state lines!

      --

      -- ssoorrrryy,, dduupplleexx sswwiittcchh oonn.. -Quote found on actual fortune cookie.
    70. Re:Short black with one by dwpro · · Score: 1

      Personally, I find the label "snob" largely applied to anyone with a modicum of discriminating taste. It doesn't take a chemist to see the difference between folgers brewed in boiling water with a paper filter and a decent cup of coffee. Hell, the coffee oil itself is visible on the surface if you don't filter it out. But what do I know, I'm a snob.

      --
      Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. -- Susan Ertz
  6. But Why?! by felixrising · · Score: 1

    Because it keeps you sharp! Of course, taking a note out of Captain Janeway's playbook. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    1. Re:But Why?! by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      All nice and dandy, but now we have to find a way to produce Earl Grey Tea, too.

      And don't you dare come along with teabags!

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re: But Why?! by Teranolist · · Score: 1

      Old socks? Would make it nice and cheesy

  7. 7 psi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Water doesn't get hot enough at 7 psi to make (good) coffee. The 'spresso 'chine will produce steam at above ambient pressure, but how much above?

    1. Re:7 psi by acvolt · · Score: 1

      The Space Station is at 14.7 PSI (sea level). It will boil at 373.15 Kelvin just like in Miami or Hawaii.

      See: https://web.archive.org/web/20061114010931/http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_5_8a.php?id=04-032&gl=58

    2. Re:7 psi by sumdumass · · Score: 1

      Not doubting you but it doesn't matter what the ambient pressure is kept at.

      This will be an entirely enclosed system. That mean it can be presurized independent of the local atmosphere. Steam escaping would condisate potentially causing problems not to mention gravity anr floating water. So it is enclosed and likely already able to handle its own pressure containment.

    3. Re:7 psi by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Steam escaping would condisate

      It's a pressure vessel full of sweating and breathing people with the outside skin temperature probably in single digits of Kelvin most of the time. Condensation is already a given. Dealing with escaped liquids (like balls of water+ethylene glycol coolant the size of someone's torso as was seen on Mir) was part of the design criteria before construction of the first module commenced.

    4. Re:7 psi by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Don't take the other comment as criticism - I'm just commenting on how there are already liquid problems being dealt with, and I do see you point about not adding another liquid problem is a good idea.

    5. Re:7 psi by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      It's a pressure vessel full of sweating and breathing people with the outside skin temperature probably in single digits of Kelvin most of the time.

      You mean, on average? http://science.nasa.gov/scienc...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  8. Seems kinda extravagant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    " to be delivered along with Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti " it requires a barista?

    1. Re:Seems kinda extravagant by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      When you buy such expensive equipment as a space espresso machine, you get an operator with it for free!

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:Seems kinda extravagant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When you buy such expensive equipment as a space espresso machine, you get an operator with it for free!

      I'd have paid double what I paid for my espresso machine if it came with Samantha Cristoforetti.

    3. Re:Seems kinda extravagant by DutchUncle · · Score: 3, Informative

      Have you seen this barista's resume? Three degrees, journal publication, pilot's license . . . it's *really* tough finding a job nowadays.

  9. It's an Espresso from piss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    NASA makes drinking water from piss up there. I wonder if it has repercussions for the taste buds. Espisso?

    composition and concentrative properties of human urine

    By the way my latest OSHW machine can do drinking water from urine too:

    Twibright Distillcooker

    1. Re: It's an Espresso from piss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Beats truck stop coffee.

      Not by much mind you.

    2. Re:It's an Espresso from piss by Opportunist · · Score: 1, Troll

      Considering it's a Lavazza machine, I doubt that using piss as water will make much of a difference in taste.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:It's an Espresso from piss by LordLimecat · · Score: 1

      People usually dont appreciate advertising on slashdot. Im sure you have great goals for this thing, but this isnt the place for spam. Go to kickstarter, indiegogo, or another crowdfunding site if you're looking for donations.

    4. Re:It's an Espresso from piss by Krishnoid · · Score: 1

      NASA makes drinking water from piss up there. I wonder if it has repercussions for the taste buds.

      I guess it provides some perspective on someone getting caught on surveillance taking a whiz in the office coffeepot.

  10. Living in space is part of the science of space by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only when we can be human in space will we be successful.

  11. caffeine potency in zero g by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's the potency of caffeine zero g? Is it more or less effective than at 1G?

    Would be lame if they took too much coffee to Mars so testing it in NEO is a good eval.

  12. I find this heartwarming by TigerPlish · · Score: 1

    For some reason, I find the idea of having a shot of real, hot espresso in space heartwarming.

    A little bit of home, when you're up so very high above it..

    --
    The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
  13. a 20kg pod machine by nowsharing · · Score: 0

    Espresso at zero gravity is just not possible. This is simply going to be the world's most expensive pod machine. I would be interested in knowing how it ended up weighing 20kg though. Surely that must be incorrect.

    1. Re:a 20kg pod machine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm surprised they don't just 3D print a machine in orbit. I thought this was the brave new non-Luddite world?

    2. Re:a 20kg pod machine by techno-vampire · · Score: 1

      Considering how much it would cost to develop such a machine for such a small niche market, this is probably the most cost-effective solution.

      --
      Good, inexpensive web hosting
    3. Re:a 20kg pod machine by KozmoStevnNaut · · Score: 1

      There is nothing inherently wrong with pods, it all comes down to the quality and freshness of coffee in the pods.

      --
      Eat the rich.
    4. Re:a 20kg pod machine by nowsharing · · Score: 1

      Pods are great on earth, and would be a godsend in space.

  14. a 20kg pod machine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    surely nasa should know that it would be more cost effective to make this machine out of lite weight materials such as titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber as opposed to lifting a commercially available stainless steel unit into orbit.

  15. You're right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The feds should have spent that blowing up more civilians and occupying places that don't want us there. Over $5 trillion wasted, and Iraq is about to fall again. Fuck, I'll take coffee in space any day of the week over what that stuff is usually spent on.

    1. Re:You're right by TheCarp · · Score: 1

      Agreed, it would be a better use of our money generally if they were working on a way to deliver coffee to individuals via orbital drops than some of the other things they waste it on.

      --
      "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
  16. Breaking News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The coffee machine on the space station has stopped working, the crew must be evacuated immediately.

  17. Oh, Timothy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You really don't read what you write, do you?

    the coffee situation abooard the International Space Station is about the improve

  18. Air pressure by rossdee · · Score: 1, Insightful

    They would have to boil the water in a pressurized container

    You can't even get a good cup of tea or coffee on Mt Everest, let alone in space.

    1. Re:Air pressure by cjameshuff · · Score: 2

      They *are* in a pressurized container. The ISS maintains a pressurized environment equivalent to sea level on Earth.

    2. Re:Air pressure by camperdave · · Score: 3, Informative

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISS_ECLSS#Atmosphere

      Normal air pressure on the ISS is 101.3 kPa (14.7 psi);[4] the same as at sea level on Earth. It would hardly do for astronauts to get the bends upon arrival at the ISS.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    3. Re:Air pressure by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 1

      Yes, but not for the reasons you think.
      Pressure is not the issue, the vessel is pressurized (else the astronauts would asphyxiate quite quickly).
      Gravity is the issue. They don't want boiling hot liquid dancing around in a space ship.

      --
      Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
  19. RTFA (was Air pressure) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The article and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iss) claim the ISS operates at ~ 1 atmosphere.

  20. Hamster wheel solution by Swordfish · · Score: 2

    One way to get around the difficulties with zero gravity for eating would be to install a "hamster wheel" inside the space station which would give at least the Moon's level of gravity, i.e. about a sixth of Earth's gravity, or the surface gravity of Mars, which is about 38% of Earth's. Of course, this would disturb zero-gravity experiments due to the inevitable "gravity noise" from the hamster wheel, but some sort of isolation mechanism could be introduced. After all, whenever astronauts move around, they are introducing "gravity noise" into zero-gravity experiments. So it can't be that bad. And the hamster wheel could be helpful with gyroscopic stabilization. Within the hamster wheel, astronauts could eat normal Earth food, and do other things for which gravity would assist.

    1. Re:Hamster wheel solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless they were laying down, they would get wicked bad coriolis effects - sure to induce vomiting. Also you'd have to spin it up and down or it'd take up a huge amount of space for them to get in and out of, which would require either an opposing flywheel or burning hydrozine.

  21. Short black with one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But one might speculate that Lavazza sponsored the machine plus the price of the extra payload. Let us just say 20 kg at USD 20,000 per kg = USD 400,000 for sending it there. That seems like an excellent deal for Lavazza.

  22. Crema? by agentgonzo · · Score: 1

    Normally when you pull a shot of coffee it comes out as a very liquidy foam and then it separates out to give you the crema (head) on top - a dark brown foam about 5mm thick.
    In microgravity, this wouldn't separate out so the espresso would be a homogeneous dark brown foam throughout rather than the espresso we see down here on earth. I wonder what it'd be like.

    1. Re:Crema? by gnu-sucks · · Score: 1

      I was just wondering the same thing.

      Bet it taste pretty good actually.

      (Good luck getting fresh coffee beans)

    2. Re:Crema? by agentgonzo · · Score: 1

      I can't remember where I read it[citation needed] but I remember somewhere that the tiny air bubbles in foamed milk do something with the tastebuds on your tongue and enhance the flavour. The same is likely true of the bubbles in the crema so probably it tastes better than normal espresso

  23. Bag could make it Intravenous by vlad30 · · Score: 1

    It's now in a bag add a needle for delivery and this coders dream is a reality

    --
    Your'e all thinking it, I just said it for you
  24. Coffee in a Bag by danknight48 · · Score: 1

    I love space, i love tech, i love coffee. But lets not hide the fact this is just coffee in a bag.

    If this "space coffee" will assist in making the world a better place, i'am all for it. But honestly, i can think of a million other things that can use the 20kg space for scientific purposes.

  25. keren by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    siiippp ommm

    http://kenama.blogspot.com/

  26. Condensation on cold spots by dbIII · · Score: 1

    No I meant exactly what I wrote. To clarify, the cold extremes matter more that the average when connected surfaces can have liquids condense out on them. That's where the vapour is going to come out of the air.

  27. How to? Just ship a 20kg machine up in space! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most "how to" articles are nothing of the sort. There's zero reproducibility. This irks me.

  28. Espresso at NASA by gnu-sucks · · Score: 1

    I don't know about in space, but here on Earth, I work at a NASA center and we have one of the best "underground" espresso clubs I have ever seen. Very sophisticated engineering techniques have been applied -- our machine gets serviced in the NASA machine shop sometimes.

    You should see that place near launch deadlines. Poor grinder never gets a break!

  29. What's the main difference between American coffee by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
    ... and American beer?

    The coffee isn't subject to open container laws.

  30. What happens when they run out of coffee? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbv5B71KmkA

    Just going to leave that here for folks to view.

  31. Something to wake them up? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And Aeropress... I have one sitting here. It makes *dreadful* coffee, unless your definition of "good coffee" == "office coffee".

    Of course, if their engines all fail, they can always use the espresso maker to give them a steam-powered spacecraft....

                    mark

    1. Re:Something to wake them up? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, and all you Aeropress lovers... just *how* do you make exactly 170F water at work? Certainly, with boilding water from a kettle, what I get is as above... and I was using Cafe Bustelo....

                    mark

  32. Who cares... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shit on earth, shit in space

  33. Here's one we prepared earlier by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk7LcugO3zg

    ISS guys prototyping the zero-g demitasse... Forgot about this vid