It is called ISSpresso and it is the first capsule-based espresso system able to work on orbit. ISSpresso takes its name from the International Space Station (ISS), on which it has been installed thanks to the access and usage rights held exclusively in Europe by the Italian Space Agency, in the framework of bilateral cooperation with NASA. It is the first capsule espresso coffee machine that can work in the extreme conditions of space, where the principles that determine the fluid dynamic characteristics of liquids and mixtures are very different from those typically found on earth. ISSpresso was born out of a project by Argotec, the Italian engineering company which specialises in the design of aerospace systems and is European leader in the preparation of healthy and nutritious food to eat in space, and historic Italian coffee brand Lavazza. 
ISSpresso is a technological challenge that satisfies the extremely stringent requirements established by the Italian Space Agency and NASA in terms of technical operation and safety: it represents an important scientific and engineering milestone that will contribute to increasing our knowledge about fluid dynamic principles in conditions of microgravity, as well as contributing to improving astronauts’ quality of life on the ISS. The innovative capsule system can also make ‘caffè lungo’ (an espresso with a little more water than usual) and hot drinks like tea, herbal infusions and broth for rehydrating freeze dried foods. International patent applications have been filed for several of the solutions introduced, which may prove useful both for future space missions and here on earth.
