How do astronauts drink coffee in space?

Just like us, astronauts working in space enjoy a cup of coffee every now and then.

However, the zero gravity environment will make making and enjoying a cup of coffee a little different than when you are on the ground.

To satisfy our curiosity, NASA has just released a short video revealing how astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) enjoy their daily cup of coffee.

First, to get the brew, astronauts use a specially designed water dispenser that takes in recycled liquid and moisture from the air. Once the water is heated, the astronauts take a plastic bag of freeze-dried coffee grounds and fill it with hot water. Now they can enjoy their coffee, sip it through a straw, or even pour it into a cup.

Zero Gravity Coffee Cup

Back in 2008, an astronaut named Don Pettit (who also works on the International Space Station), decided that he wanted to enjoy his coffee the more traditional way, by drinking from a cup instead of using a straw. So Pettit invented what would later be called the Zero Gravity coffee cup, and you can see it in the video.

To create the initial prototype, Pettit tore a piece of plastic from his Flight Data File mission logbook to create a teardrop-shaped beverage holder. The design relied on surface tension and the laws of physics to keep liquids from flowing in microgravity.

Now that you know how astronauts drink coffee in space, you're interested too!