A zero-gravity ISSpresso coffee machine from Lavazza will be supplied to astronauts on the International Space Station later this year.
Developed by Lavazza and engineering firm Argotec, ISSpresso is a capsule-based espresso system that is capable of working in the extreme conditions of space, where the principles that regulate the fluid dynamics of liquids and mixtures are very different from those typical on Earth.
The plastic tube carrying the water inside a normal espresso machine has been replaced with a special steel tube in order to withstand pressure of more than 400 bar.
Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will carry the 20kg espresso system into space, along with American Terry Virts and Russian Anton Shkaplerov in a Soyuz rocket launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Commenting on the development, Argotec managing director David Avino previously said: "Our aerospace engineers have designed a new-concept coffeemaker, which is safe for the astronauts and able to function in microgravity conditions, also thanks to Lavazza's experience as a leader in capsule extraction systems.
"ISSpresso is a technological challenge that meets very stringent requirements, imposed by the Italian Space Agency, in terms of technical functionality and safety."
Image: ISSpresso coffee machine will be supplied to astronauts on the International Space Station. Photo: courtesy of Lavazza.
