TURIN, Italy – After 32 months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), at 400 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, December 14th marked the end of the mission “Coffee in Space”, featuring ISSpresso: the innovative capsule-based espresso machine installed into ISS Node 1/Unity and created by Argotec for Lavazza, in partnership with the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
It was a long journey that began on May 3rd, 2015 during the FUTURA mission — with Samantha Cristoforetti drinking the first espresso coffee in micro-gravity conditions in history — and ended with the International Space Agency’s VITA mission, during which Italian ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli completed his third voyage into space.
In its two years in space, ISSpresso travelled more than 650 million kilometres at a speed of 28,000 km/h, took in nearly 15,500 sunrises aboard the International Space Station and was featured prominently in various moments of conviviality and enjoyment over an impressive 11 space expeditions.
ISSpresso allowed the crews to enjoy espresso of the finest quality in space, just like at home: for the first time, the authentic Lavazza espresso was brewed in extreme conditions, where the principles of fluid dynamics are completely different from on Earth.
The cream and coffee were not mixed, as on Earth, but were separated, with the traditional cup replaced by a special pouch.
However, the preparation process remained the same, in order to guarantee the utmost practicality and simplicity for espresso which was then enjoyed through a straw. This innovative capsule system also allowed the astronauts to prepare caffè lungo, hot beverages and broth thanks to food rehydration.
The value and innovation of the Italian ISSpresso project has been covered in media from more than 30 countries around the world, with a social media buzz that reached more than 950 million impressions, along with a presence at various prestigious events such as: “Impact. Innovate. Integrate”, the forum on the innovation and digitalisation of the mechanical engineering industry in Chicago; the show “Astronauts” at Cité de L’espace in Toulouse; Expo 2017 – Future Energy in Kazakhstan; and LIFE, a U.S. film set in space, in the International Space Station. Indeed, interest in the project has grown throughout the world, to the extent that the renowned Victoria & Albert Museum in London has chosen to include a model of the machine in the exhibit “The Future Starts Here”. There, beginning on May 12th 2018, ISSpresso will be on display alongside 100 other design objects that are contributing to shaping the world of tomorrow.
