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by Brooks Hays Rome (UPI) Jun 16, 2013
Italians can't live without their espresso. That's why they're bringing a coffee maker with them on their next mission to the International Space Station. Coffee-tech companies Lavazza and Argotec have teamed with the Italian Space Agency to build a coffee maker capable of pumping out cappuccinos in zero-gravity. Italian astronauts will bring the cleverly named "ISSpresso," a capsule-based espresso machine, with them on their next trip to the space station. The machine features a near-indestructible steel tube that can withstand pressures of 400 bar. The tube helps ISSpresso brew not just double-shots but also tea, infusions, caffe lungos and broths of all kinds. It will also be used to rehydrate foods. "Today we are in a position to overcome the limits of weightlessness and enjoy a good espresso -- the indisputable symbol of made in Italy products -- on board the International Space Station," said Giuseppe Lavazza, vice president of Lavazza. The machine, Lavazza said, won't just be a place to perk up, but -- like the coffee houses along the piazzas of Rome -- a place for socializing. He said: "[The ISSpresso will be] a venue for getting together, chatting and relaxing: an aspect that should not be ignored in missions that keep the astronauts away from home for many months in a challenging environment." The ISSpresso will travel along with astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, set to be the first Italian woman in space, when Italy launches its next ISS mission, "Futura," in November.
Related Links Station at NASA Station and More at Roscosmos S.P. Korolev RSC Energia Watch NASA TV via Space.TV Space Station News at Space-Travel.Com
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