There is a series of physical phenomena issues which prevents astronauts from having a hot drink in the cold solitude of outer space. Recently, this problem has been addressed by two Costa Rican students who have successfully built a coffee maker that would overcome the cruel restrictions of outer space.

Perhaps the tranquil desolation of the outer space and the sustained effort one has to perform on a constant basis during missions demand at times the small reward of a hot cup of coffee. But while we're so accustomed to indulging ourselves in such ways, this is nearly impossible for astronauts. This is mainly due to zero gravity. Under such conditions, water just floats around in bubbles, making it very difficult to use in a regular coffee maker. Furthermore, using high temperatures like the one required for coffee preparation makes water instantly evaporate. That's why modern astronauts currently drink only microwave-prepared instant coffee. But a former astronaut from NASA, by the name of Franklin Chang, thought there had to be a possibility that would still enable his fellow space divers rejoice at the smell and taste of real coffee.

In this regard, he took his plea to the Costa Rican Technological Institute. There, two students from the Electromechanical School, Josue Solano and Daniel Rozen, proved to be up to the task and devised a machine which they called the space infuser, which bypasses the difficulties of space coffee making. As Rozen explains, “We turn on the switch. The machine will heat the water to 90 degrees centigrade, the ideal temperature for a cup of coffee. Once the water reaches that temperature, we direct the water which is found in the heating chamber towards where the container is found, resulting in a delicious cup of coffee”.

With this first step already made, perhaps the future will bring more commodities to the harshness of the spatial depths, such as a normal food (instead of the dried, tasteless one currently found in casseroles).