How Astronauts Brew Coffee in Space

For over a decade, astronauts aboard the International Space Station have had to settle for instant coffee—sucked through a straw from sealed pouches to prevent liquids from floating away. But that’s about to change.

This November, the ISS will welcome its first-ever real coffee machine: a specialized espresso maker built to work in microgravity. It’s called Isspresso, and it’s scheduled to arrive with Italy’s first female astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti.

What Is the Isspresso Machine?

The Isspresso isn’t your average café machine. Designed to function in the absence of gravity, it operates under high pressure to push water through coffee grounds despite the lack of natural flow. To manage this, some internal plastic tubing has been replaced with metal piping, and critical components have backups installed. All of this adds complexity—and weight. The entire unit weighs around 20 kilograms.

Why Can’t Astronauts Just Drink Instant Coffee?

In microgravity, liquids don’t pour or settle the way they do on Earth. Without gravity to pull them down, hot liquids, including coffee, form floating droplets that can drift away, damage equipment, or be inhaled. That’s why astronauts currently rehydrate instant coffee—or any beverage—from sealed pouches using straws. There’s no brewing, no crema, and certainly no espresso as we know it.

Who’s Bringing Real Coffee to Orbit?

The Isspresso machine is a collaboration between Italian coffee company Lavazza, the Italian Space Agency, and a space engineering firm. It’s named as a play on the words ‘ISS’ (International Space Station) and ‘espresso.’ The machine is set to launch in November 2024, alongside Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who will become both the first Italian woman in space and potentially the first person to drink authentic Italian espresso in orbit.

How Does Brewing Coffee in Space Work?

Brewing espresso in microgravity requires rethinking nearly every part of the traditional process. The Isspresso uses high-pressure water delivery to force extraction through coffee grounds, compensating for the lack of gravity-driven flow. Its internal plumbing has been reinforced with metal instead of plastic to handle the pressure. Critical parts are duplicated to avoid failure in the isolated environment of the ISS. The machine’s design ensures that brewed coffee is contained and can be safely consumed, likely from a sealed cup engineered for microgravity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Isspresso machine?

The Isspresso is a high-pressure espresso machine designed specifically for use in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. It replaces standard plastic tubing with metal to handle pressure and includes redundant components for reliability. It weighs approximately 20 kilograms.

When will the coffee machine arrive at the ISS?

The Isspresso is scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station in November 2024.

Who will be the first astronaut to use it?

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will bring the Isspresso to the ISS in November 2024. She will also be the first Italian woman in space.

Why can’t astronauts drink normal espresso in space?

In microgravity, liquids don’t flow downward and can form floating droplets that are hard to control. Traditional espresso brewing relies on gravity, which doesn’t function the same way in space, so a specialized machine is needed.

What kind of coffee have astronauts drunk until now?

Until now, astronauts have consumed instant coffee rehydrated from powder in sealed pouches, using straws to sip the liquid and avoid floating droplets.

How is the Isspresso different from a regular espresso machine?

The Isspresso is built to operate in microgravity. It uses high pressure to brew coffee, has metal piping instead of plastic, and includes backup systems. It is far more complex and heavier than a consumer espresso machine.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Space-Themed Brews

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