Right from Buzz Lightyear toy, numerous sound recordings to Beatles songs have been sent into space so far. And now, a European startup Space Cargo Unlimited launched 12 bottles of red wine packed in a metal canister to prevent breakage. Unfortunately, the wine isn’t meant for astronaut consumption.
In the name of science!
As per the company claims, it’s part of the experiment to study how space radiation and weightlessness (microgravity) affects the aging process. It’s worth mentioning that the red wine launched into space on Saturday from Virginia by aerospace company Northrop Grumman by the European startup Space Cargo Unlimited.
‘Vitis Vinum in Spatium Experimentia’
For the next year, the red wine will remain there (ISS) for the aging process before returning to Earth. With this move, the company is aiming to develop new properties and flavors for the food industry. This mission is named as ‘Vitis Vinum in Spatium Experimentia,’ which roughly translates to “Wine Grape in Space Experiment.”
Twelve bottles on each space and Earth!
In addition to the 12 bottles in the space, the wine company has donated another 12 bottles for researchers on Earth to study and allowing them to compare the batches after the year.
Once the space wine returns to Earth, researchers will analyse both the samples to determine how microgravity and space radiation affects the fermentation process. Notably, both the samples on Earth and ISS will remain sealed and kept at 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
First of six missions!
The universities in Bordeaux, France, and Bavaria, Germany, are taking part in the experiment from Space Cargo Unlimited. Notably, this is one of the six space missions planned by the company over the next three years. On the other hand, an over, which can bake chocolate-chip cookies, also arrived at the ISS.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure,” Nicolas Gaume, chief executive and co-founder of Space Cargo Unlimited, said.
All said and done, this is not the first time alcohol has gone into space. Back in 2015, Budweiser sent barley seeds to the station, and in another experiment, Scotch also visited space as well.
Main image credits: Christian Delbert/Shutterstock
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