Astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) are enjoying espresso from a specially designed cup. Samantha Cristoforetti, a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, has also posted her picture with a great view of the Earth at the background.
ISS astronauts recently received the specially designed coffee machine called the ISSpresso, which can serve coffee to ISS astronauts. Along with a new coffee machine, the astronauts have also received six 3D printed microgravity cups that will make coffee drinking a different experience for the astronauts.
The 3D printed cups are not simple cups and have physics involved to them. The zero gravity cups are also a scientific tool, which will provide important information to scientists when astronauts sip their coffee.
"With real science backing the design, our microgravity coffee cup will do more than lift espresso to astronauts' lips - it will also provide data on the passive movement of complex fluids as part of the Capillary Beverage investigation," per NASA.
Scientists explain that when the lip of an astronaut touches the rim of the zero-G coffee cup it established a capillary connection, which will allow the drinker to access the entire contents of the cup. Astronauts can enjoy their coffee sip-by-sip or just gulp it down in a go.
Cristoforetti, who is the first Italian woman in space, also became the first person to drink coffee at the ISS from the special cup. She posted an image of herself sipping the coffee on Twitter. The image in itself is quite pleasing to the eye as it shows the Earth at the background.
"'Coffee: the finest organic suspension ever devised.' Fresh espresso in the new Zero-G cup! To boldly brew..." reads the Tweet.
Cristoforetti reached the ISS in November 2014 and she will soon return back to the Earth.
Recently, Scott Kelly of NASA also posted some images of the Earth including the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C. and more on his Twitter and Facebook pages. Images from the space have long attracted many space enthusiasts. Hopefully, crew members at the ISS will continue to send marvelous pictures from the space.
