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| Fanciful pre-launch image of espresso in space by the marketing team at Italian coffee maker Lavazza |
SPACE STATION BREWING—Guest Blog by Argotec’s Antonio
Pilello--While other earth bound coffee makers have boasted their coffee will blast you into space, two
companies, Argotec and Lavazza are working together with the Italian Space
Agency (ISA) to literally deliver on that claim. Today, is the dawn of authentic Italian espresso into space. Today, a rocket to the International Space
Station will deliver on that promise. The launch is today!
“An espresso
coffee is what I miss most aboard the International Space Station.” Coffee
makers at Lavazza have repeatedly heard this comment from the Italian
astronauts aboard the International Space Station, and today their espresso
wish is about to become reality.
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European Space Agency, Air Force Captain
Samantha Cristoforetti is the first Italian
Woman to orbit in the International Space
Station (ISS).
|
Italian
astronaut of the European Space Agency, Air Force Captain Samantha Cristoforetti
is the first Italian woman to go into space, but also the first astronaut in
history to drink an authentic Italian espresso in orbit.
The
innovative espresso making machine is called ISSpresso. It takes its name from
the International Space Station (ISS), where it is to be installed. It is the
first capsule-based espresso system able to work in the extreme conditions of
space, where the principles that regulate the fluid dynamics of liquids and
mixtures are very different from those typical on Earth.
ISSpresso is
the product of a project run by Argotec, the Italian engineering company
specializing in the design of aerospace systems and maker of healthy and
nutritious foods for in-space consumption, and Lavazza, the popular Italian
coffee brand.
Gushing at
the opportunity to go into space, Giuseppe Lavazza, VP at the company his
ancestors founded in the 1890s points out, “Italian coffee is a beverage
without borders and we have been thinking about taking the espresso into space
for some time.”
“Our aerospace
engineers,” stated David Avino, Managing Director of Argotec, “have designed a
new-concept coffeemaker, which is safe for the astronauts and able to function
in microgravity conditions, also thanks to Lavazza’s experience as a leader in
capsule extraction systems. ISSpresso is a technological challenge that meets
very stringent requirements, imposed by the Italian Space Agency, in terms of
technical functionality and safety.”
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| Check out the crema created by ISSpresso in space coffee dispensing system designed by space engineers at Argotec for Lavazza |
In addition
to the engineering aspect, Argotec is also taking care of the European
astronauts’ training and nutrition. Food provides an important psychological
support and being able to enjoy a good Italian espresso may be just the right
way to finish off the menu designed especially for each astronaut, helping him
or her to feel closer to home.”
Roberto
Battiston, President of the Italian Space Agency added: “ISSpresso is a perfect
example of the way ISA's decision to make ISS national usage rights available
to public-private partnership initiatives can result in a valorisation of
public resources for technological, economic, and social objectives. The ISA
will bring ISSpresso aboard the ISS, thanks to bilateral cooperation agreements
with the NASA, as it shares with the project partners the objective of
improving the quality of life of ISS astronauts, as well as the astronauts who
will take part in future long interplanetary exploration missions. At the same
time, we are also proud to contribute to the promotion of the image and
spreading of the Made-in-Italy brand at international or better “space”,
level.”
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| The new ISSpresso machine pushes forward the frontiers of Italian coffee in space |
A coffee
break in space. Launching ISSpresso into orbit with the Futura Mission crew
today will create a ‘corner café’ on the ISS, which will be the hub for socializing
on board the Station, a sort of social network in space, 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 very
challenging environment. The innovative capsule system will also be able to
prepare not only a regular espresso, but also a caffè lungo or hot beverages,
such as tea, infusions and broth, so that food can also be rehydrated.
Extra-terrestrial
technology of ISSpresso is designed to respond to a scientific and engineering
challenge: in fact, the machine studies have enabled principles of physics and
fluid dynamics to be tackled, such as the difficulty of handling liquids at
high pressure and high temperature in a space environment. Just think that the
plastic tube carrying the water inside a normal espresso machine has been
replaced with a special steel tube designed to withstand pressure of more than
400 bar. The machine is so complex that it weighs about 20 kilograms since
there are back-ups of all the critical components for safety reasons in
accordance with the specifications agreed upon with the Italian Space Agency.
Argotec is
an Italian aerospace company, with headquarters in Turin, that focuses on
research, innovation, and development in many sectors: engineering, information
technology, systems integration and "human space flights and
operations". Argotec trains European ground controllers as well as
astronauts at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne and it is the unique
responsible in Europe for their bonus food.
Lavazza
established in Turin in 1895, has been owned by the family of the same name for
four generations. The world’s seventh ranking coffee roaster, today Lavazza is
the retail market leader in Italy with a market share by value of over 47%
(source: Nielsen), 3,300 employees and sales of EUR 1,340 million (as of
December 31, 2013). The company has five production sites, four in Italy and
one abroad, and operates through associated companies and distributors in more
than 90 countries. Lavazza exports 46 percent of its production.
More Info:
Italian
Space Agency Press Office
Giuseppina
Piccirilli
+39
06.8567.431-351/ 366.6449857
stampa@asi.it
www.asi.it
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