When I was growing up, space was considered the domain of geeks. Genuine interest in space travel felt futile; after all, the moon landing was old news, and being a sci-fi fan often meant spending Friday and Saturday nights solo. The only entertainment we had was reruns of Star Trek, which, while fantastic, were limited in number.
Fast forward to today, and we have a thriving sci-fi film industry (hello, Guardians of the Galaxy!), the Star Trek and Star Wars universes are still growing, and best of all, we have a real International Space Station (ISS) where astronauts share their experiences on social media. How sweet is that?
And now, those brave astronauts—who inspire us with their peaceful international teamwork and stunning views from above—can finally enjoy a proper cup of espresso. Until recently, they had to endure the travesty of instant coffee, which was stored in freeze-dried packets. Remember, this is an INTERNATIONAL space station, so it’s not just Americans up there. While many Earth-dwellers are content to sip coffee from environmentally unfriendly plastic pods, Europeans tend to get a bit emotional about a good cup of joe—especially when they’re spending a year in space, far from their chic sidewalk cafés.
Just in time for Italian astronaut Marco Rossi’s return home next month, the ISS now has an espresso machine—appropriately named the ISSpresso!—that promises to brew a decent cup, though it still requires refinement for use in zero gravity. The creators are perfecting it and figuring out how to create an espresso-sized cup that can function in space.
But wait, there’s even more cool stuff coming back from the ISS! Former Canadian astronaut Jamie Thompson, who once commanded the station and captivated social media with breathtaking photos and experiments, gained viral stardom with his rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”—the very first music video filmed in space! It has garnered over 25 million views since its debut in May 2013, with Bowie himself calling it “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created.” Now, Jamie is set to release an album recorded entirely in space, featuring collaborations with Canadian artists like The Maple Leaves and Sarah Brightman.
In a fun twist, nerd culture is back in vogue, and Marco—who ranks alongside Star Trek: Voyager’s Captain Janeway—recently shared a photo of himself in a Voyager uniform, complete with the espresso machine aboard the Space X Dragon freighter in the background. For this geek, it doesn’t get any cooler than that.
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In summary, space travel is cooler than ever, with astronauts enjoying espresso and engaging in creative projects that inspire us all. It’s a fantastic time to be a nerd, and who knows what other exciting developments are on the horizon?