NASA Astronaut Enjoys Coffee in Space With His Own Zero-Gravity Cup Design
NASA astronaut Don Pettit missed the familiar aroma of his morning coffee so much while aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that he designed a solution: the Capillary Cup, a zero-gravity cup that allows astronauts to sip coffee more naturally—no bag, no straw required.
Developed to work in microgravity conditions, the Capillary Cup uses fluid dynamics to guide liquid to the mouth, mimicking how one would drink on Earth. According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, the cup also enables astronauts to experience one of the most essential aspects of coffee—its smell.
“The zero-g cup allows one to smell your coffee, something you can’t do when sipping through [a] straw from a bag,” Pettit wrote on X (formerly Twitter), responding to a follower curious about how coffee tastes and smells in space. “Smell is probably 70% of the coffee pleasure,” he added.
Pettit demonstrated the invention in a video, casually sipping from the floating cup as it hovered midair—an everyday ritual made extraordinary in orbit. “Having a sip o’ joe in the morning; nothing beats the zero-g cup for morning coffee,” he captioned the clip.
The invention not only reintroduces comfort and routine to astronauts’ lives in space but also provides a glimpse into the playful side of science. Responding to a comment that astronauts shouldn’t “play with their food,” Pettit quipped: “In space, you can play with your food and call it science.”
Despite the innovation, space coffee still faces its limitations. On March 22, Pettit noted on X that the ISS espresso machine had been returned to Earth. Until a replacement arrives, astronauts are back to drinking instant coffee.
Don Pettit continues to share insights from the ISS and updates on his space-brewed coffee experiences with his followers, blending curiosity, creativity, and caffeine—one zero-gravity sip at a time.
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