Slashdot Mirror


The International Space Station (Finally) Gets an Espresso Machine

coondoggie writes NASA this week will be sending its first espresso making machine into space, letting astronauts onboard the International Space Station brew coffee, tea or other hot beverages for those long space days. Making espresso in space is no small feat, as heating the water to the right temperature – 208F – and generating enough pressure to make the brew are critical in the brewing process. And then getting it into a “cup,” well that’s nearly impossible in gravity-free space. NASA, the Italian space agency ASI, aerospace firm Argotec, and coffee company Lavazza have come up with en experimental machine that will deliver the espresso into what basically amounts to a sippy pouch.

5 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Physics by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You can get to any pressure you need as long as it's designed along the lines of a pressure cooker.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  2. Re:Physics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can you get to 208 degrees F at the internal pressure at which the space station is maintained?

    No, they cannot because they use SI units.

  3. Re:Your tax dollars by Sowelu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Hey we've got some upcoming technical challenges for future missions that need us to deal with pressurizing and heating liquids"
    "Okay, what are the parameters?"
    "A lot like coffee actually"
    "Well then...let's trial our technology by building an espresso machine."

  4. Can we have this summary in English, please? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    NASA this week

    Eh. Try "This week, NASA..."

    will be send

    Ahem.

    its first espresso making machine into space [comma] letting astronauts onboard the International Space Station brew coffee

    for those long space days.

    Err, for those what? The only thing you can remotely call a "day" on the ISS is about 90 minutes long.

    making the water heat

    Or "heating the water" as we say in English...

    And then getting it into a “cup,” well that’s nearly impossible in gravity-free space.

    And writing an article in proper journalistic English, well that's nearly impossible if you insist on writing down words as if you were speaking them out loud and don't bother editing them afterwards.

    Also low-Earth orbit is not "gravity-free."

    Can we please not link to articles that appear to have been written by a well-read LOLcat?

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  5. Re:Physics by LordKronos · · Score: 4, Informative

    You're confusing boiling point with temperature.

    No, I don't think he is, but I think maybe you don't understand the relation between boiling point and easily achievable temperature. You put water in a pot and apply heat. That heat then makes its way to the water, heating the water. Once the water reaches it's boiling point, it vaporizes, leaving the pot. Once it's outside of the pot, it's EXTREMELY difficult for you to add more heat to it. Thus if your boiling point is X, it's pretty much impossible to get the water to a temperature greater than X under typical circumstances.

    Thus, in him asking "Can you get to 208 degrees F at the internal pressure at which the space station is maintained", the implied question is "does the space station have an atmospheric pressure that results in a water boiling point of 208 degrees F or greater?"