Just like many of us on Earth, astronauts crave a comforting cup of coffee. But in the weightless environment of space, brewing and enjoying a cup of joe takes on a whole new dimension. NASA recently shared a fascinating glimpse into how astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) get their daily caffeine fix.
To start, astronauts use a specially designed water dispensing unit that cleverly recycles liquids and moisture extracted from the air. This unit heats the water for their brew. Next, they grab a pouch filled with freeze-dried coffee grounds and connect it to the unit, allowing the hot water to fill the pouch. Once the coffee is ready, astronauts sip it through a straw, much like enjoying a drink from a juice box.
But back in 2008, astronaut Don Pettit, currently on board the ISS, wanted a more traditional coffee experience—drinking from a mug. He ingeniously crafted the first Zero Gravity coffee cup, using a piece of plastic from his mission book. This teardrop-shaped design utilizes surface tension and the laws of physics to keep the liquid from floating away in the microgravity environment. The Zero Gravity coffee cup, a testament to human ingenuity, became the first patented product invented in space.
So now that you know how astronauts enjoy their coffee in space, you might wonder about the equally fascinating details of their bathroom routine. This is, after all, the question astronauts are asked most frequently. This video offers an explanation of their space-age sanitation system.
For a more in-depth look into the lives and work of astronauts aboard the ISS, delve into the collection of videos created by past visitors to this orbital outpost. It’s a window into the extraordinary world of human exploration in space.
