Espresso in space. Food scientists at the Italian coffee firm Lavazza, an iconic name in fine Italian espresso coffee, along with Italian aerospace engineers at the space firm, Argotec, will equip Italian astronaut, Air Force Captain Samantha Cristoforetti, with this extraordinary device to make Italian style espresso in zero gravity on the International Space Station:
Lavazza even put together an illuminating little video demonstration of the useful device that the designers have coyly named ISSPRESSO.
Lavazza promises that their machine, which weighs in at a mere 20 kg, will make coffee available to ISS astronauts for the first time, "a real coffee, that which one drinks in a cafe, good, hot and steaming." Some observers aren't convinced that the project is worth the cost of lifting the machine and supplies to orbit.
I say that the Italians have made a breakthrough enhancing quality-of-life-in-space the like of which the World hasn't seen since the invention of Tang. Bravo, Italia. Viva la caffe.