Zero Gravity Espresso Cup – helps astronauts to sip their coffee in space!

For many of you coffee lovers out there, how do you think you would feel if you started your day without a cup of coffee? Perhaps a day without coffee would be tolerable for some, but can you last a week without coffee?

Just imagine how astronauts feel when they need to wake up to start their day but having difficulty in creating a really good cup of coffee. Of course, how can they do this when they are in zero gravity? The simple and satisfying act of pouring a hot cup of espresso in zero gravity is not the same. Now aren't we taking this act for granted a lot?

Cimbali have learned that a team of US researchers and design engineers have recently created a unique coffee cup that will let astronauts sip the perfect shot of espresso in space!

This news is a welcome relief for astronauts in space who are struggling with getting up in the morning to start their duties. Researchers have discovered the zero gravity espresso cup which aids in delivering the perfect shot of coffee while in space. This is done by having a series of channels that stimulates the pouring needed to create the perfect drink.

Micro-gravity conditions in space inhibit the production of ‘crema’ which is the defining feature of a decent espresso. A shot of espresso is composed of a complex, low density colloid of emulsified oils, and the earth’s gravity causes these oils to rise to the surface producing the aromatic foam enjoyed by coffee lovers around the world.

Created by a team at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, at Portland State University in the US – 6 of the 3D printed cups are scheduled to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) this month aboard a SpaceX rocket.   The shape of the container can passively drive fluids to desired locations without moving parts – exploiting the reflexive forces of wetting and surface tension. The special design makes the enjoyment of espresso coffee, and other drinks in low-gravity environments of spacecraft possible.

Without the pull of gravity, fluids behave differently than they do on earth, as instead of‘pouring’, a liquid retains a more globular shape held together by its own surface tension. This phenomenon complicates even the most basic of manoeuvres such as drinking a cup of coffee. The 3D espresso cup is designed to cheat low-gravity by channelling liquid along a specifically-calculated contour in the vessel to exploit capillary forces that simulate the action of pouring.

Hovering up to 270 miles (435 kms) above the Earth, the International Space Station is a long way from home, and astronauts have said how they miss their creature comforts such as coffee and beer!

Food and drinks provide an important psychological support for anybody, more so for people who are working in space – away from their family and the usual comforts of being home. Now that the perfect cup of espresso may soon be readily available in space, this could help the astronauts feel just a little bit closer to home.