When I was younger, outer space seemed like the realm of geeks. The thrill of genuine space exploration felt stale, especially since the moon landing was old hat. Being a sci-fi enthusiast simply meant spending your weekends alone, with only Star Trek reruns to keep you company.
Fast forward to today, and we’re in the midst of a booming sci-fi film industry (anyone else obsessed with Guardians of the Galaxy?). The Star Trek and Star Wars sagas continue to grow, and we even have the incredible International Space Station (ISS), where astronauts connect with us through social media. Life has certainly taken an exciting turn.
Now, these inspiring astronauts, who showcase the beauty of cooperation and share stunning Earth views, can finally savor a cup of espresso. Until now, they’ve had to settle for the unfortunate reality of instant coffee, packed in freeze-dried pouches. Keep in mind this is an INTERNATIONAL space station, so it’s not just Americans up there. While many folks on Earth happily sip coffee from environmentally harmful plastic pods, Europeans have an entirely different perspective on coffee quality, especially when they’re spending an extended period in space, far from their quaint cafés.
The espresso machine made its debut just in time for Italian astronaut Mia Rossi, who is set to return home next month. She’ll be the one to test it out, of course, as brewing coffee in zero gravity requires a delicate touch. Dubbed the ISSpresso machine—clever, right?—the manufacturer is confident in its performance but is still fine-tuning newer versions, including creating a tiny (espresso-sized) cup that functions in zero-G.
But there’s even more exciting news coming from the ISS. Retired Canadian astronaut Leo Thompson, who once commanded the space station and captivated social media with his stunning photos and science experiments, has become a bit of a sensation. He went viral with his rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” the first music video filmed in space, racking up over 25 million views since its release in May 2013. Bowie himself described it as “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created.”
Now, Leo is set to release an album featuring songs recorded entirely in space. He laid down his vocals and guitar tracks while aboard the station and then collaborated with a producer to enhance the tracks with contributions from Canadian artists like The Barenaked Ladies and Ron Sexsmith. The album is expected to drop later this year.
As we shift back to the realm of nerd culture (because nerdy is undeniably cool again!), Mia Rossi, who shares the same rank as Star Trek: Voyager’s Captain Janeway, recently tweeted a photo of herself in a Voyager uniform, with the espresso machine-bearing SpaceX Dragon freighter in the background. For those of us who embrace our inner nerd, it doesn’t get any better than this!
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In summary, the evolution of space exploration brings not only scientific advancements but also a delightful twist of everyday luxuries like espresso. As astronauts continue to break barriers and share their experiences, we can only look forward to more exciting developments in the final frontier.
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