Whisky will be sent into space for the first time as part of an experiment to measure how the spirit ages in an environment beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Engineers in Scotland and Japan plan to launch Scotch on a rocket in 2028, sending a satellite containing samples of whisky and its key ingredients on a five-year mission orbiting Earth. Scientists hope that the frequent fluctuations between extreme heat and freezing cold experienced by the whisky as it circles the planet every 90 minutes could accelerate the maturation process.
This could potentially pave the way for the future production of space-aged whisky, which the scientist behind the project expects to have a “very challenging” flavor profile resulting from its unusual journey.
Although such whisky would command astronomical prices due to the costs of launching and retrieving the liquid, collectors are already known to pay hundreds of thousands for some of the rarest bottles.
Dr. Gilles Bailly from the University of Glasgow stated that a number of students traveled from Scotland to Japan to help co-design the miniature satellites that will house the small whisky samples and ingredients. The study is also expected to provide insight into how orbital factories might operate to develop drug molecules that are difficult to produce on Earth.
Baillet told the media that the experiment aims to observe the effect of the space environment on whisky maturation.
The current plan for the whisky experiment, dubbed “Space Puffin,” is to launch a satellite in 2028 aboard a SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station, after which it will be deployed into orbit from the station’s Japanese module.
The science behind the “breathing” process of whisky as it ages in wooden casks is not well understood, Baillet said, but these cycles could occur much faster in space—where temperatures can rapidly fluctuate between minus 75 and 90 degrees. Baillet added that he hopes the experiment will help accelerate the whisky’s maturation and yield “something more interesting.”
Illustrative photo: pexels-nano-erdozain-120534369-28180094
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