Astronauts rejoice! A new space espresso machine will replace instant coffee.

For years, astronauts aboard the International Space Station have had to endure one particularly brutal aspect of living in space: instant coffee.

Not anymore. The SpaceX rocket launching today — which will carry 4,300 pounds of supplies up to the ISS — will deliver a long-awaited space espresso machine.

(Lavazza)

As Wired reports, the rocket is delivering Lavazza's ISSpresso machine, specially designed to operate in the low-gravity conditions of the space station. The machine (built for Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti) has a steel steam pipe built to withstand much higher pressures than the plastic tubing normally used. It also shoots the espresso into a small bag, which astronauts will drink from with a straw, since the hot liquid would otherwise float out of a cup.

A machine was initially set to arrive in November, but was destroyed when a resupply rocked exploded just after liftoff.

(Lavazza)

Further reading: Life in orbit — 16 surprising things astronauts have revealed in Reddit AMAs

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