DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD’S FIRST BEER FOR SPACE
OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES OF BEER IN SPACE
It’s been a labour of love, a fine art – making a beer that can be enjoyed in the heavens as it is on Earth.
So what does the beer taste like? Well…out of this world! The baseline recipe is a dry Irish style Stout with a seven-strong malt line-up we developed with the help of our mates at 4 Pines Brewing Co. Although we’re no longer partnered, we’ve kept this high flavoured beer as the baseline recipe (the original Earth version) to ensure that space travellers could enjoy the full flavour of beer we have become accustomed to on Earth, despite the human physiology challenges.
The aroma profile is of coffee, chocolate and caramel malts. These are matched on the palette with a full bodied, smooth finish and a balancing bitterness.
After having successfully created a tasty, high flavour beer that can be drunk in space, in September 2011, our mission then was to develop the technology that would allow space venturers to drink the beer from the bottle like their fellow land-dwellers (rather than the ‘squeeze’ packet designs that astronauts currently use for water and orange juice etc.). The biggest challenge being that Liquid’s inability to pour in zero gravity means that a special space beer bottle is required.
KEY PROJECT MILESTONES
June 2010
Vostok is born.
July 2010
First batch of 500 cases of Stout are bottled. Four small 5L kegs are prepped for testing and experimentation.
September 2010
Astronauts4Hire (A4H) selected from a short-list of over 50 applicants to be the official Vostok in-flight beer taster and Zero gravity researcher.
November 2010
To understand the physical and chemical responses of beer in zero gravity we dropped the beer off a 23m drop tower (to simulate the effect of zero gravity).
December 2010
A tester from A4H undergoes measurements of his body’s normal terrestrial responses to drinking.
February 2011
Microgravity test complete and history is made! This hits two milestones. It was humanity’s first look at alcohol absorption effects in zero gravity. It is also the first beer in aviation history to be formally tested on a commercial microgravity flight.
May 2011
Distribution of the stout (baseline Earth version) goes National in Australia.
September 2011
Set the R&D plan for the Space Beer Bottle. With a literature review, concept to full spec design, engineering, test phases; it’s like making a fuel tank for your beer.
May 2012
GOLD MEDAL and trophy winner at the Australian International Beer Awards. This beer is now officially the #1 Stout amongst a competitive set of beers from all over the world.
June 2012
Saber Astronautics completed the first phase on the Space Beer Bottle. The design passes simulation analysis to include vibration, fluid flows and surface tension.
September 2012
Fresh off the press is the 3D printed Space Beer prototype. We took it to the 4 Pines filler machine to test the fittings.
December 2012
We’ve narrowed down several concept CAD sketches for the Space Beer Bottle Insert.
November 2013
Saber Astronautics flies two prototypes with a highly successful ZERO-G test flight. One prototype 3D printed, one out of medical grade stainless steel.
February 2015
Industrial Design of the Space Beer Bottle begins, with the help of our pals at AUXILIARY and a design is selected. This then leads to concept refinement and down-selection to two bottle design options
September 2017
Scoured the planet for over a year on a journey to find manufacturers that were capable to build the world’s first beer for space.
January 2018
Industrial Design Engineering completed for two viable build configurations ready for high fidelity prototype testing in Zero Gravity.
See the first concept design here.
