A grocery run to the International Space Station has carried caffeine to a whole new level as it includes an authentic espresso machine from Italy.
The SpaceX supply ship launched its unmanned rocket with the espresso maker and 4,000lbs of food, science research and other equipment from Cape Canaveral last night.
The experimental espresso machine is intended for Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. It was supposed to arrive in January, shortly after her arrival, so she could get some relief from the station's instant coffee.
But it ended up on the back burner after a station shipment from Virginia was lost in a launch explosion.
Nasa's space station programme deputy manager Dan Hartman said it was all part of making astronauts feel at home as they spend months, and even up to a year, in orbit.
Mission Control already gives astronauts full access to email, phone calls, private video hook-ups, and live news and sports broadcasts.
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