SpaceX was supposed to launch the Dragon spacecraft earlier this Monday but bad weather caused yet another delay. The latest mission is the private company's sixth resupply mission to the International Space Station, taking a slew of science experiments to space, including an espresso machine.
Aptly called ISSpresso, the espresso machine is part an effort to help astronauts beat bouts of homesickness by providing them with simple comforts. While the ISSpresso is mainly an espresso machine, it can also be used for making tea, broth and other hot beverages the astronauts may prefer. Initially meant for Samantha Cristoforetti, an Italian crew member, the ISSpresso was designed by coffee giant Lavazza and Argotec, an engineering company based in Turin, Italy.
"The psychological support is very, very important. It's kind of like the ice cream thing ... Maybe some rough day, a scoop of ice cream gets them over that hump kind of thing," said Dan Hartman, space station program deputy manager for NASA.
Complementing the ISSpreso is the Capillary Beverage study, which will have ISS crew members sipping hot beverages from specially designed cups. The standard drinking aid used to be a pouch fitted with a straw, but the Capillary Beverage study will introduce improvements, taking advantage of properties of fluid to control the liquid in a cup. On Earth, the results of this study may bring improvements to the field of micro-fluidics, which is used in drug and medical delivery applications.
Another science experiment launching aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is the Observation and Analysis of Smectic Islands in Space study, which will be examining how liquid crystals behave in microgravity. A better understanding of liquid crystals will aid in creating better display devices not just on Earth but in space as well, allowing scientists to more easily view small screens in helmets during spacewalks.
The SpaceX resupply mission will also be heralding the beginning of human health studies with Roscosmos' Mikhail Kornienko and NASA's Scott Kelly. Kornienko and Kelly will be staying in space for one year, participating in investigations to help space agencies learn more about the biomedical, psychological and medical challenges crew members face during long-term spaceflights.
The launch was postponed yet again due to approaching anvil clouds that could spell problems for the spacecraft. The clouds were spotted from a nearby thunderstorm postponing both the resupply mission as well as SpaceX's bold rocket landing experiment.
Photo: Steve Jurvetson | Flickr
