NASA astronaut makes zero-gravity cup to have coffee in space

An astronaut missed the aroma of his morning coffee while aboard the International Space Station, so much so that he came up with a solution! NASA astronaut Don Pettit created the Capillary Cup, a zero-gravity cup that floats in the air, enabling him to drink without the need for a bag and straw, as noted by the Rochester Institute of Technology.

What’s the Capillar Cup by Don Petit?

In a video clip, Pettit showcased his invention, sipping coffee as the cup floats around him. He wrote in a post on X, "Having a sip O’joe in the morning; nothing beats the zero-g cup for morning coffee." Unlike on Earth, where enjoying a hot cup of coffee is a leisurely ritual, astronauts typically depend on sealed pouches and straws to manage liquids in microgravity.

For Pettit, this setup didn't suffice; he sought the full coffee experience—savouring the aroma, taste, and comforting sensation of a true sip. This inspired him to design the Capillary Cup, a specially crafted vessel that operates in weightlessness, allowing astronauts to drink coffee much like they do at home, according to the Rochester Institute of Technology.

In a now-viral video on X (formerly Twitter), Pettit can be seen enjoying a sip from his floating white cup while relishing the moment. He captioned the post, “Having a sip O'joe in the morning; nothing beats the zero-g cup for morning coffee.” Coffee enthusiasts recognise that the experience of taste involves more than just flavour and significantly relies on smell.

Pettit echoed this perspective, explaining to a follower that traditional space coffee consumed from a bag lacked the complete sensory enjoyment. “The zero-g cup allows one to smell your coffee, something you can't do when sipping through a straw from a bag; the smell is probably 70% of the coffee pleasure,” he remarked in another post.

Pettit cheekily responded to a follower who mentioned that people are usually told not to play with their food. Pettit replied, “In space, you can play with your food and call it science.”

Although Pettit's invention has the potential to transform the coffee-drinking experience for astronauts, there was a recent setback. On March 22, he revealed that the ISS's espresso machine had been sent back to Earth, leaving astronauts with only instant coffee to rely on.