ISS to receive its own Lavazza Espresso machine

A pair of Italian companies in cooperation with the Italian Space Agency (ISA) has announced plans to send an espresso machine to the International Space Station, (they're calling it the ISSpresso machine) allowing astronauts to sip hot drinks while conducting research.

Lavazza, a well known maker of espresso machines has joined forces with Italian aerospace engineering company Argotec to design an espresso machine capable of withstanding the rigors of space travel, one that can also dispense the liquid in a way that allows astronauts in low gravity to drink products without makbing a mess aoard the space station.

Representatives for Lavazza told the press that the company has been working on the idea of a space ready espresso machine for several years.

The news that the two companies are near to actually completing such an assignment comes not long after comments made by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano bemoaning the lack of espresso while aboard the ISS, last year.

The new machine will use a capsule system (instead of a full ground system) and will be capable of making not just espresso, but several other hot beverages including caffè lungo and coffee.

The company notes that the plastic tube that usually conveys hot water inside a normal espresso machine has been replaced by steel tube, making the unit capable of withstanding very high pressure.

They also added multiple redundant systems (and likely resistance to vibration) to ensure continued service for many years to come.

The changes have meant increased weight however, it's expected the final machine will be approximately 20 kilograms.

The liquid product made by the machine is dispensed into a plastic bag, the astronaut will be able to enjoy his or her beverage by sipping it through a straw.


The ISSpresso is still undergoing testing but engineers on the project fully expect it to be ready for launch this November as part of a long-term mission by the ISA.

The same mission will also include Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian women to be sent into space, and perhaps the first on the ISS to enjoy the pleasure that only a good espresso can bring.

NASA Space suit issue prompts delay of second spacewalk

In this image made from video provided by NASA, astronaut Rick Mastracchio performs a space walk outside the International Space Station on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. 

Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins ventured out of the station to try to revive a crippled cooling line. 

AP Photo/NASA

Astronauts removed an old space station pump Saturday, sailing through the first of a series of urgent repair spacewalks to revive a crippled cooling line.

The two Americans on the crew, Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins, successfully pulled out the ammonia pump with a bad valve—well ahead of schedule.

That task had been planned for the next spacewalk, originally scheduled for Monday but now delayed until Tuesday, Christmas Eve, because of the need for a suit swap.

"An early Christmas," observed Mission Control as Mastracchio tugged the refrigerator-size pump away from its nesting spot.

If Mastracchio and Hopkins keep up the quick work, two spacewalks may be enough to complete the installation of a spare pump and a third spacewalk will not be needed as originally anticipated.

Several hours after Saturday's spacewalk ended, Mission Control bumped spacewalk 2 to Tuesday to give Mastracchio enough time to prepare a spare suit.

His original suit was compromised when he inadvertently turned on a water switch in the air lock at the end of Saturday's excursion.

NASA officials said Saturday night that it's unclear whether a third spacewalk will be needed and when it might occur, if required.

A third spacewalk had been slated for Christmas Day before the latest turn of events. NASA requires a day off between spacewalks for astronaut rest.

The space station breakdown 10 days earlier left one of two identical cooling loops too cold and forced the astronauts to turn off all nonessential equipment inside the orbiting lab, bringing scientific research to a near-halt and leaving the station in a vulnerable state.

Mission Control wanted to keep the spacewalkers out even longer Saturday to get even further ahead, but a cold and uncomfortable Mastracchio requested to go back.

The spacewalk ended after 5½ hours, an hour short on time but satisfyingly long on content.

Earlier, Mastracchio managed to unhook all the ammonia fluid and electrical lines on the pump with relative ease, occasionally releasing a flurry of frozen ammonia flakes that brushed against his suit.

A small O-ring floated away, but he managed to retrieve it.

"I got it, I got it, I got it. Barely," Mastracchio said as he stretched out his hand.

"Don't let that go, that's a stocking stuffer," Mission Control replied.

"Don't tell my wife," Mastracchio said, chuckling, as he put it in a small pouch for trash.

Mastracchio, a seven-time spacewalker, and Hopkins, making his first, wore extra safety gear as they worked outside.

NASA wanted to prevent a recurrence of the helmet flooding that nearly drowned Luca Parmitano, an ESA Italian astronaut last summer, so Saturday's spacewalkers had snorkels in their suits and water-absorbent pads in their helmets.

To everyone's relief, the spacewalkers remained dry while outside. But midway through the excursion, Mastracchio's toes were so cold that he had to crank up the heat in his boots.

Mission Control worried aloud whether it was wise to extend the spacewalk to get ahead, given Mastracchio's discomfort.

Not quite two hours later, Mastracchio had enough as he clutched the old pump.

When Mission Control suggested even more get-ahead chores, he replied, "I'd like to stow this old module and kind of clean up and call it a day."

He said a couple of things were bothering him, not just temperature, and declined to elaborate when asked by Mission Control what was wrong.

Flight controllers obliged him. Once the old pump was secured to a temporary location, the spacewalkers started gathering up their tools to go in.

Adding to the excitement 260 miles (418 kilometers) up, a smoke alarm went off in the space station as the astronauts toiled outside. It was quickly found to be a false alarm.

The pump replacement is a huge undertaking attempted only once before, back in 2010 on this very unit.

The two astronauts who tackled the job three years ago were in Mission Control, offering guidance.

Mastracchio promised to bring back a wire tie installed on the pump by the previous spacewalkers. "Oh, awesome, thanks Rick," replied the astronaut in Mission Control who put it on.

The 780-pound (354-kilogram) pump is about the size of a double-door refrigerator and extremely cumbersome to handle, with plumbing full of toxic ammonia.

Any traces of ammonia on the spacesuits were dissipated before the astronauts went back inside, to avoid further contamination.

NASA's plan initially called for the pump to be disconnected in the first spacewalk, pulled out on the second spacewalk and a fresh spare put in, and then all the hookups of the new pump completed in the third outing.

NASA rigs up snorkel in ISS spacesuit after risky water leak

Michael Hopkins

US astronaut Michael Hopkins waves on September 26, 2013 before the launch of a Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan 

Snorkels in space? 

NASA dreamed up the idea as a quick fix to a dangerous spacesuit problem so astronauts can step out to repair an equipment breakdown at the International Space Station.

One of the two US astronauts preparing to embark on a series of spacewalks later this week and next will be wearing an American-made suit that had a helmet leak in July, nearly drowning the European astronaut who wore it.

The three emergency spacewalks are planned for December 21, 23 and 25 in order to fix a broken cooling system at the orbiting outpost.

Luca Parmitano

An investigation into the cause of the leak that flooded ESA's Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano's helmet and forced him to rush back inside the station in July is still ongoing, NASA officials told reporters Wednesday.

Therefore, faced with an unexpected valve failure last week in the system that regulates the temperature of equipment aboard the 15-year-old orbiting outpost, NASA engineers had to scramble to figure out a way to make the US spacesuits safe for use.

First off, they have replaced the water pump system in the suit Parmitano wore.

In addition, an extra helmet absorption pad has been installed at the inside back of the helmet to soak up any potential leak, and a snorkel has been rigged up to offer another breathing route if needed.

"Some smart engineers on the ground were able to figure out, 'Hey this is a similar diameter to a snorkel that you have for scuba diving,'" said NASA lead spacewalk officer Allison Bolinger.

"By just sacrificing one of our spares on board they were able to come up with a way to just snip off the ends and then file it so it is not rough in the crew member's mouth and then apply Velcro."

Rick Mastracchio

American astronaut Mike Hopkins will be wearing the suit Parmitano wore. Both he and fellow US astronaut Rick Mastracchio will have the new snorkels and pads inside their spacesuits as a safety measure.

Their task is to remove the pump module with the faulty valve and replace it with a spare pump that was already aboard the ISS.

Even though the formal investigation into the leaking helmet has not been completed, NASA officials said they were confident that their back-up solutions would allow the astronauts to be safe on their risky outings.

ISS Expedition 36 and 37 Crew Members returning to Earth

ISS Expedition 36 and 37 Crew Members Luca Parmitano, Karen Nyberg and Russian cosmonaut, Fyodor Yurchikhin prepare to return to Earth on Sunday evening.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano prepares to leave ISS - Video

Watch the Soyuz return flight from the International Space Station of ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg and commander Fyodor Yurchikhin: live coverage starts Sunday 20:30 CET, courtesy NASA TV.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano has run over 30 experiments on the International Space Station, helped to dock three spaceships, kept his cool during two spacewalks and entertained us with his blogs and pictures of Earth from above – and now it is time for him to come home.

After almost six months on the orbital complex, Luca will return home in a Soyuz spacecraft together with NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg and cosmonaut commander Fyodor Yurchikhin during the night of Sunday–Monday.

ISS Astronauts take Soyuz capsule for spin around ISS

A close-up view of the International Space Station on March 7, 2011

An international trio of astronauts on Thursday took a Soyuz space capsule on a rare trip around the International Space Station in preparation for the arrival of a new crew next week.

Russian flight commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and engineers Karen Nyberg of NASA and Luca Parmitano of Italy undocked their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft from the Rassvet module on the Earth-facing side of the station and carefully manuevered it to the Zvezda module's aft end.

The fly-around—which NASA said was last performed in July 2010—sets the stage for the arrival on November 7 of a new crew which will bring along one of the torches Russia is using in its relay for the February 7-23 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

The addition of the new team—comprised of NASA's Rick Mastracchio and Japan's Koichi Wakata as well as Russian Soyuz commander Mikhail Tyurin—will take the number of people on board the station to nine for the first time.

Space officials said cosmonauts Kotov and Ryazansky will take the Olympic torch for a symbolic spacewalk on November 9.

The Soyuz capsule is used by crew members to dock to the orbiting lab and remains attached to the station for return missions to Earth.

ISS Expedition 37 Crew members in Kibo lab

Expedition 37 crew members pose for an inflight crew portrait in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. 

Pictured (clockwise from lower left) are Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, commander; Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryazanskiy, NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, all flight engineers.

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano has been on board the ISS since May 2013. Read more about the Volare Mission in his blog: blogs.esa.int/luca-parmitano

ESA ISS Astronaut image: Smoke Plume from Mount Etna

ESA astronaut on the ISS, Luca Parmitano, took this picture of Mount Etna issuing smoke from a recent eruption.

ISS Expedition 36 Crew to Return to Earth

In preparation for the Expedition 36 return to Earth, Commander Pavel Vinogradov of Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) handed over control of the International Space Station Monday, Sept. 9, 2013 at 2:25 p.m. EDT in a traditional Change of Command Ceremony. 

Roscosmos Flight Engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin will take over command and officially lead Expedition 37 when Expedition 36 undocks Tuesday at 7:35 p.m.

Going home with Vinogradov are Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy of NASA and Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos, who arrived at the station March 28. 

They will land a few hours later in their Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft at 10:58 p.m. (8:58 a.m. Wednesday Kazakhstan time).

Soyuz landing coverage begins Tuesday on NASA TV at 4 p.m. with farewell and hatch closure.

In the bottom half of this photo, left to right, are Vinogradov and Flight Engineers Karen Nyberg of NASA and Misurkin.

In the top half of the photo are, left to right, Flight Engineers Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, Cassidy, and Yurchikhin. This photo was taken on June 8, 2013.

Image Credit: NASA

Russian cosmonauts turn cable guys in spacewalk

Fyodor Yurchikhin

Russian cosmonauts are taking a spacewalk to lay cable for a new lab that's due to arrive at the International Space Station in a few months.

Fyodor Yurchikhin (fee-YOH'-dur yur-CHEE'-kihn) and Aleksandr Misurkin (miz-UR'-kin) floated outside Friday. It's one month since their Italian crewmate almost drowned when leaking water flooded his helmet during a spacewalk.

Aleksandr Misurkin

Luca Parmitano's spacesuit was provided by NASA.

Friday's spacewalkers are wearing Russian-made suits that differ from the U.S. version.

NASA is still investigating last month's close call. The problem appears to be in the life-support backpack.

The Russian Space Agency (RSA) plans to launch a new science lab by year's end.

This is the third of six Russian spacewalks planned for this year. The next one is next week.

ESA: Paxi - Surprise guest on the International Space Station

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano had a flying visit from Paxi, the ESA kids mascot.

Follow Paxi on Twitter: http://twitter.com/paxi_esakids and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaxiESAKids

NASA ISS EVA Cancelled because of Water Leak in Spacesuit

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano takes a moment to say hello to NASA's Chris Cassidy during their spacewalk, July 9, 2013. 

This was the first of two Expedition 36 excursions to prepare the International Space Station for a new Russian module and perform additional installations on the station’s backbone.



NASA aborted a planned six-hour spacewalk by two astronauts outside the International Space Station today (July 16) when one of the spacewalkers reported "a lot of water" inside his spacesuit helmet, a potentially scary situation.

European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano reported that helmet started filling with water, making it difficult for him to continue the spacewalk outside of the International Space Station.

The spacewalk ended after one hour and 32 minutes. It was supposed to last six hours and 15 minutes. The crew was in no immediate danger during the spacewalk, NASA officials said.

"There is some in my eyes, and some in my nose," Parmitano said. "It's a lot of water."

This is the second shortest spacewalk in history. The shortest — lasting only 14 minutes — happened in 2004 when astronaut Mike Fincke had a pressurization problem in his oxygen tank.

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Parmitano began their spacewalk today at 7:57 a.m. EDT (1157 GMT). They wore NASA-issue spacesuits called Extravehicular Mobility Units, or EMUs. It ended at 9:29 a.m. EDT (1329 GMT).

Parmitano reported the water in his spacesuit about one hour and nine minutes into the spacewalk. The cause of the water leak isn't yet known, but the tasks scheduled for the spacewalk can be deferred until a later excursion, NASA officials said

ISS Astronauts Parmitano and Cassidy EVA: Orbital repair men

Astronauts Luca Parmitano and Chris Cassidy switched their spacesuits to battery power and began their spacewalk outside the International Space Station.

The sortie was planned for six and half hours, but the astronauts proceeded faster than planned and had time for extra 'get-ahead' tasks, routing cables and staging equipment to help future spacewalkers.

The final duration of Tuesday's extravehicular activity was 6 hours and 7 minutes.

The primary goals were to replace a Ku-band communications transceiver, retrieve two science experiments that exposed material samples to space, install cables for Russia's coming Nauka laboratory module, and carry out routine maintenance.

An artist impression of Nauka in situ on the ISS.

Nauka will replace the Pirs module currently attached to the Station.

The highlight of the spacewalk for Luca was surely riding on the platform at the end of the Station's Canadarm2 robot arm - this moment is shown in the image.

Operated by Karen Nyberg inside the Station, the arm moved Luca to the port side of the Station's long central truss to remove a failed camera that will be returned to Earth for analysis.

Finally, Luca installed a multilayer insulation cover to protect the docking interface of the Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 on the Harmony module.

Luca and Chris will venture out to space again next week to continue work started during this spacewalk.

Space Station Astronaut, Luca Parmitano Becomes Italy's 1st Spacewalker

Italy, you have a spacewalker. European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano became the first Italian ever to walk in space today (July 9) outside of the International Space Station.

Parmitano, a 36-year old Italian astronaut , spent just over six hours working outside the space station alongside crewmate Chris Cassidy of NASA, and offered his thanks for an exhilarating first spacewalk.

"Thank you," Parmitano said, adding another round of thanks in his native Italian language before signing off.

Among other tasks, Parmitano and his fellow space station crewmember NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy retrieved a pair of materials science experiments, installed radiator grapple bars and successfully replaced a space-to-ground communications controller unit that failed in December 2012.

Because Parmitano and Cassidy ran ahead of schedule, the speedy spacewalkers were able to start in on tasks originally scheduled for their second spacewalk next Tuesday (July 16).

"Life is good," Cassidy said near the end of the spacewalk.

Cassidy and Parmitano also readied the station for the launch of a new Russian module later this year. They installed cables that will be used to power the new Multipurpose Laboratory Module upon its arrival at the station.

Parmitano also installed a cover that will protect a docking port where space shuttles attached to the station, according to NASA officials.

The two astronauts took some time to appreciate their unique view of Earth as the station orbited about 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the surface of the planet.

"It's amazing," Parmitano said when looking down at the Earth at the beginning of the spacewalk.

Now five-time veteran spacewalker Cassidy checked in on Parmitano periodically to see if his tasks were going smoothly.

Parmitano was perched on the tip of the Canadian Space Agency built robotic arm for much of the spacewalk. NASA's Karen Nyberg controlled the space station's 57.7 foot (17.6 meter) robotic arm from inside the International Space Station.

"It was fun working with you," Nyberg said as work with the robotic arm came to a close. "It was just like we trained."

Parmitano replied: "Even better."

ISS Astronauts preparations for next EVA

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy (left) and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano, both Expedition 36 flight engineers, attired in their Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuits, participate in a “dry run” in the International Space Station’s Quest airlock in preparation for the first of two sessions of extravehicular (EVA) scheduled for July 9 and July 16. NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, flight engineer, assists Cassidy and Parmitano.

NASA: Celebrating Fathers' Hallmark Day on the ISS

Pictured on the front row are Expedition 36 Commander Pavel Vinogradov (left) and Flight Engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin. Pictured from the left (back row) are Flight Engineers Alexander Misurkin, Chris Cassidy, Luca Parmitano and Karen Nyberg. Image credit: NASA

On Sunday, May 16, 10 children will celebrate Father's Day on Earth while their fathers orbit overhead as members of the Expedition 36 crew aboard the International Space Station.

The crew has numerous ways to stay connected with family: email updated daily by Mission Control, use of a special phone to call when they have free time and video conferences, usually planned for the weekends when work is light.

Nasa Astro Nyberg and ESA Astro Parmitano on the ISS

“Taking images of interior surface of eye to study vision degradation associated w/ long duration spaceflight.” /via Karen Nyberg/NASA

“Performing an eye test with the support of crew mate Chris…” /via Luca Parmitano/ESA

Expedition 36: New ISS Crew Arrives at Space Station in Record Time

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying the Expedition 36/37 crew to the International Space Station is seen in station cameras just before docking on May 28, 2013.

CREDIT: NASA TV

An international trio of astronauts has just become the newest residents of a space station in orbit after a record-setting trip.

Five hours and 40 minutes after a successful Soyuz rocket launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan earlier today (May 28), Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, NASA's Karen Nyberg and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency docked their Soyuz spacecraft at the International Space Station at 10:10 p.m. EDT (0210 May 29 GMT).

The new crew will remain on the space station for the next six months.

"I've never felt better in my life," Yurchikhin said just after the Soyuz docked at the station in record time while sailing high above the South Pacific.

You can watch live coverage of the hatch opening on NASA TV starting at 11:30 p.m. EDT (0330 May 29 GMT), with hatch opening scheduled for 11:55 p.m. EDT (0355 May 29 GMT).

New ISS Crew on their way: Expedition 36 Soyuz Launch

A Soyuz rocket with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Flight Engineers Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Karen Nyberg of NASA, onboard, launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station. 

Yurchikhin, Nyberg and Parmitano will remain aboard the station until mid-November, 2013. 

Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA - Soyuz TMA-09M ISS Shuttle craft to the Launch Pad

The Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is rolled out by train to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad, Sunday, May 26, 2013, in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg of NASA, are set to launch to the International Space Station Tuesday night Eastern U.S. time, Wednesday in Kazakh time. 

Yurchikhin, Nyberg, and, Parmitano, will remain aboard the station until mid-November 2013.

Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls