"A weak skim latte - no gravity thanks"

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) may soon have access to the simple pleasure of a daily espresso, thanks to a new cup designed specifically to defy the low-gravity environment.

Italy is preparing to send an espresso machine to the ISS, and so a team of researchers crafted a special cup to allow astronauts to drink in space in a manner similar to the one experienced on Earth, by replacing the role of gravity with the forces of surface tension.

The special 3D printable ‘espresso space cup’ has a shape which can passively migrate fluid to desired locations without moving parts - using passive forces of wetting and surface tension.

The work, which was presented during a recent meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics, has a much wider reach beyond espresso. “We’re striving to use our new methods to reassess all fluid systems aboard spacecraft - including cooling systems, fuel tanks, water processing equipment for life support, plant and animal habitats, medical fluids, foods, etc,” noted Mark Weislogel, a professor in the Thermal and Fluid Sciences Group at Portland State University.

“It’s an exciting time because tools are readily available now to design advanced equipment for use in space with far greater reliability than previously possible. The era of the ISS is the perfect time to develop and demonstrate these tools as we continue to explore our solar system,” Weislogel said.