Free Astronomy Magazine July-August 2014

ISSpresso have meant that the Italian ASI space agency selected the Argotec project – shared by Lavazza – for use aboard the ISS. Once completed the qualification tests, conducted by the manufacturer in conjunc- tion with Finmeccanica-Selex ES, ISSpresso will be sent to the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan), from where, in November, it will reach the space station aboard a Rus- sian Soyuz spacecraft, to be deployed on the long-duration mission “ISS Expe- dition 42/43”. The Italian part of that mission, named “Futura Mission”, will also see the participation of Sa- mantha Cristofo- retti, the first Ital- ian woman to go into space. Once onboard, ISS- presso will be pla- ced in a “corner A bove: ISS- presso in the final version. Despite its un- avoidably heavy- duty structure and 20 kg weight, its design is still pleasing to the eye. Left: an espresso dispens- ing test from the prototype visible in the previous page. [Lavazza/ Argotec]