What breathes even in the vacuum of space? If you guessed whisky, you might be an enthusiast, but also scientifically correct.
A literally out-of-this-world joint mission between Scotland and Japan will launch in 2028 aboard a SpaceX resupply flight to the International Space Station (ISS), aiming to produce the first whisky aged in the vacuum of space. Engineering students from the University of Glasgow will work alongside Japanese student collaborators, bringing together centuries of distilling tradition and modern space technology from both nations. Supported by a grant from distillery consultancy Allen Associates, both nations will supply spirit samples and satellite design expertise. Additionally, Japan provides a crucial extra element, which is the orbital deployment point via its ISS module.
The liquid samples and raw brewing ingredients containing barley, water, yeast, and wood chips will be housed inside a miniature satellite, known as a CubeSat, named ‘Space Puffin’ before launch. Upon reaching the ISS, the CubeSat will be deployed directly into free Earth orbit, completing a revolution every 90 minutes. This will expose the mixture to extreme temperature swings, ranging from -150°C in Earth’s freezing shade to +200°C when facing the sun’s scorching solar heat. As Dr Gilles Bailet, Lecturer in Space Technology at the University of Glasgow, explained to Sky News: “This wood will breathe faster than on Earth, and so we are hoping that we’ll be able to accelerate the ageing to be able to get something more interesting.” In short, the experiment hopes to see whether putting whisky in space will accelerate its maturation and create bold, unprecedented flavour profiles.
This is not the first time whisky has been sent into space. However, unlike earlier orbital tests such as Ardbeg’s 2011 experiment, where the distillate remained inside the temperature-regulated space station, ‘Space Puffin’ directly braves open space. Beyond observing space’s effects on whisky, the five-year mission aims to demonstrate orbital ethanol extraction in microgravity. Since ethanol is commonly used in producing medicines, what started as an unusual experiment with whisky could ultimately pave the way for future space factories to manufacture essential medicines, showing that serious scientific progress may begin in unconventional places.
Photo by Dylan de Jonge on Unsplash
