The latest delivery to the International Space Station will include a vital new package -- decent coffee. The ISSPresso will become the first espresso machine in space when launched to the orbiting platform on 13 April, and allow astronauts to get a crucial caffeine kick.
Weather permitting, the SpaceX supply ship will deliver over 1,800kg of food and science research equipment on Monday afternoon. The coffee machine was supposed to arrive late last year, but was destroyed when the Orbital Sciences Antares supply rocket it was aboard exploded.
The work of Lavazza, engineering firm Argotec and the Italian Space Agency, the machine was designed for use by Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti who has been aboard the ISS since November 2014.
A number of modifications have been made to enable the machine to make a decent cup of coffee in microgravity. The steam pipe, which is made of plastic and only needs to withstand 9bar of pressure on Earth, has been replaced with a steel version that can handle 400bar of pressure for use in space.
Rather than delivering freshly brewed coffee into a cup, the ISSPresso pours into a small pouch not unlike a saline bag. This method, which applies to all drinks on the ISS, will mean astronauts have to enjoy their coffee through a straw.
Nasa said the new espresso machine would help astronauts feel more at home during their time in space. "The psychological support is very, very important," space station program deputy manager Dan Hartman said.
He compared the potential impact to that of the occasional ice cream shipment made to the ISS. "It's just to boost spirits. Maybe some rough day, a scoop of ice cream gets them over that hump kind of thing."
As well as delivering the espresso machine today's launch will also see SpaceX make its third attempt at landing its leftover booster vertically on an ocean barge when it returns to Earth. Both previous tests have failed but the private space company said it rated its chances of success this time between 75 and 80 percent.
The launch is scheduled for 4:33pm local time from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
