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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.

17 of 192 comments (clear)

  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 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?!?

      --
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    3. 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!

    4. 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.

      --
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  2. 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 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.

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

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

    3. 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.

    4. 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.

      --
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    5. 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.

  3. 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 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.

  4. 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.

    --
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  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

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