Italian Astronaut Brews, Sips First Fresh Espresso In Space

[Ryan Ruck]

Italian Astronaut Brews, Sips First Fresh Espresso In Space

May 4, 2015


In this photo posted on Twitter, Sunday, May 3, 2015, and provided by NASA, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti sips espresso from a cup designed for use in zero-gravity, on the International Space Station. Cristoforetti, the first Italian woman in space, fired up the first espresso machine in space, which uses small capsules, or pods, of espresso coffee.

The first Italian woman in space is now the world's first orbiting barista.

Over the weekend, astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti fired up the first espresso machine in space. She posted a photo of herself on Twitter from the International Space Station on Sunday, sipping from a cup designed for use in zero-gravity.

For the special occasion, she put on her "Star Trek" uniform top.

"Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised," Cristoforetti said via Twitter, quoting from the old () TV series, "Star Trek: Voyager. "

"Fresh espresso in the new Zero-G cup! To boldly brew...," she added.

Cristoforetti, who returns to Earth next week following a half-year mission, almost didn't get any space espresso. The experimental, Italian-made espresso maker, dubbed ISSpresso using the International Space Station initials, was supposed to arrive in January, but didn't get to orbit until April because of a shipment backlog.

How did she like the space brew? She didn't say on Twitter, but she was all smiles for the cameras and gave a thumbs-up. It had to beat NASA's instant coffee, drunk by straw from a pouch. The espresso actually is brewed in a clear pouch, behind the closed door of the boxy coffee maker, and that's how Cristoforetti and NASA crewmate Scott Kelly first sampled it. Cristoforetti later switched to the small, pitcher-like zero-g cup, a new American-made item.

Italy's 120-year-old coffee maestro Lavazza and the Turin-based engineering firm Argotec, which teamed up on the space espresso project with the Italian Space Agency, were thrilled to see their 260-mile-high results.

"Today the International Space Station feels a little more like home," Lavazza said via Twitter.

The space espresso maker uses small capsules, or pods, of espresso coffee. Fifteen coffee capsules flew up with the machine aboard a SpaceX cargo carrier, as well as five capsules for flushing out the system. More coffee capsules are available for launch if requested by the six-person crew.

[American Patriot]

"Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised," Cristoforetti said via Twitter, quoting from the old () TV series, "Star Trek: Voyager. "

Made me almost throw up. LOL

[American Patriot]

Amazing we sent a total ST:Geek up there... hahahahahahahahahaha

[Malsua]

I'm sure Janeway was her hero.

I had an issue with ST:Voyager in that there were a billion inconsistencies.

For example, the first group of beings they run into are the Kazon. You know..the ones with sponges for hair.

Anyway, they land on the planet and they're dirt poor, can't feed themselves, etc.

The ship goes to leave and it turns out the Kazon have a fleet of kickass star cruisers that proceed to pound Voyager savagely until it can limp away.

Anyone see the issue with this? It'd be like the Somalians with a world class space program.

[American Patriot]

Well, they were like the North Koreans... Except with Star Ships. Star Ships that work and the military was bad ass.

So... naw, don't see too many problems.

Except that the North Koreans don't have sponges for hair, can't field an army capable of beating Napoleon's cavalry, their people are dirt poor, .... and of course they don't have star ships.

LOL

I watched Voyager. But it was my least favorite show for the same reasons you mention. Inconsistent stories, silly acting in some cases, and I really didn't care much for "Janeway". I liked Kate Mulgrew, a little (even a fan of her's on Facebook) but she reminds me too much of a feminist bitch.

[Ryan Ruck]

I'm sure Janeway was her hero.

I had an issue with ST:Voyager in that there were a billion inconsistencies.

For example, the first group of beings they run into are the Kazon. You know..the ones with sponges for hair.

Anyway, they land on the planet and they're dirt poor, can't feed themselves, etc.

The ship goes to leave and it turns out the Kazon have a fleet of kickass star cruisers that proceed to pound Voyager savagely until it can limp away.

Anyone see the issue with this? It'd be like the Somalians with a world class space program.

Yes, there were a lot of inconsistencies in Voyager and that is one of them for sure. Remember how valuable water was supposed to be to them?

I watched Voyager. But it was my least favorite show for the same reasons you mention. Inconsistent stories, silly acting in some cases, and I really didn't care much for "Janeway". I liked Kate Mulgrew, a little (even a fan of her's on Facebook) but she reminds me too much of a feminist bitch.

It is my least favorite Trek as well even though it is probably the best visually. (DS9 is the best of the bunch in my opinion because it is excellent visually as well as well cast and written) I used to really hate on it but, over the years it's grown on me a bit and I don't hate it quite as much. I think the problem is that aside from The Doctor and Seven, it was just a fairly weak cast. That in addition to all of the poor writing like Mal pointed out. In fact, Kate Mulgrew was probably the person I liked least of the cast, and not just her character. She is a big lib so hate away guilt free.

[Malsua]

Don't get me wrong, I probably watched 90% of Voyager as it aired. I have not however, ever, once, sought out watching it again. I enjoyed the show because it was in the Trek universe. It's a right of passage for a Trekkie. If you're familiar with the Chronicles of Thomas Convent, Voyager is akin to Giant Caamora. It's ritual purification by fire and pain and it must be borne to cure the grief over death or loss.

I saw even less of DS9 because it always aired at hours that were less convenient for me. I will however watch a DS9 if it comes on and I'm in front of the TV but that rarely happens these days.

I watched 100% of ST:TNG as it aired. I made a point of going over to a friends house for YEARS to watch it. I've tried to go back and watch some of it and it's really schlocky. I especially can't stand any Troi, Tasha Yar or Wesley Crusher episodes. Worf, Riker, Picard, Data and to a lesser extent Beverly Crusher episodes are ok, with Data and Picard episodes being the best. I didn't like the first annoying doctor either.

That said, I can drop into a ST:TOS and watch it and pretty much all of them are enjoyable, my favorite is probably The City on the Edge of Forever. The story was originally written by Harlen Ellison although it was heavily edited for TV. You can tell which episodes were written by real science fiction authors as they are the best ones.

[American Patriot]

I think my favorite was ST:TOS. My favorite two shows are "City on the Edge of Forever" and "Assignment Earth".

The second one had "Gary Seven" who was the guy from the future trying to fix things in 1968.

The show aired in 1968, and the Enterprise had gone back to that year to do historical reseach and wound up trying to stop an "agent" from ... doing something, Kirk and Spock weren't sure.

Terry Garr was in that show. The show was supposed to spin off a series called "Assignment Earth" but it was never commissioned.

Too bad too.

[American Patriot]

side note, found this:

Author Greg Cox has included Gary Seven and Roberta in three of his Star Trek novels, Assignment: Eternity and the two-part novel, The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh. In the latter two novels Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln go on to eventually stop Khan Noonien Singh and his fellow genetically engineered humans from taking over the planet.

[MinutemanCO]

I've watched a bunch of Voyager with my kids on Netflix. It's got some entertainment value. What pisses me off is that Voyager, supposedly the most advanced starship of its time, seemed like it was built with K-Mart parts. The damn inertial dampers are always off line when you need them and the shields were about as reliable as a 1984 Yugo. They continually got their butts kicked by every galactic garbage scow and pirate boat in the Delta Quadrant.And the holodeck was forever giving them trouble. Seemed like a serious liability.

Not a big Janeway fan, but the Doctor and Seven make up for her abrasiveness.