Java In Zero-G - How The Space Coffee Cup Works - video Dailymotion

Astronauts on the International Space Station have a zero-g cup for their java.  Credit: NASA Johnson Space Center

Transcript

00:00When working 12- to 14-hour days aboard the International Space Station,

00:05caffeine is, well, a must for many astronauts.

00:08On average, an astronaut may consume about 100 mg of caffeine per day.

00:12That's equivalent to one cup of coffee, two cups of tea,

00:15or about one can of a typical energy drink.

00:18But in space, they can't just pour a cup of joe.

00:21To get their morning brew, astronauts typically sip from a plastic pouch through a straw.

00:25However, astronaut Don Pettit wanted the comforting feeling of sipping from a mug in his hand.

00:30So he invented another way, the zero-gravity cup, also known as the space cup.

00:35The cup relies on surface tension and the laws of physics to keep the liquid in place,

00:39enabling the drinker to take spill-free sips.

00:42Just how does the space cup work?

00:44In microgravity, liquids will form in globs, or bubbles.

00:47So to keep coffee from floating away,

00:49the space cup's specially designed shape ensures that as crew members sip,

00:53the liquid flows through an angled channel,

00:55creating an experience like drinking from a mug on Earth.

00:58But there's a wrinkle, getting the water for their brew.

01:01Aboard the space station, crew members actually need to turn yesterday's coffee into today's coffee.

01:07They use a water dispensing unit that takes recycled liquids

01:10and the moisture gathered from the air to provide hot, potable water for the crew.

01:14Then they will take a plastic pouch loaded with freeze-dried coffee grounds,

01:17connect it to the unit, and fill the pouch with hot water.

01:20From there, crew members can sip their fresh java.

01:23Now one big question looms for the future.

01:25Exactly how much coffee would be enough to sustain a mission to Mars?