Robert Pearlman, editor of the space history and artifact website collectSPACE, says:

Here's a really neat video recorded tonight from NASA TV that shows Dr. Don Pettit demonstrating his zero-g coffee cup. Not only is it cool space food, but its a science lesson, too!

Sunday Morning Science with Dr. Don Pettit (Collectspace Forum) Astronaut demos drinking coffee in space (YouTube)

Related:

* NYT writer drinks NASA water distilled from the finest astronaut pee and sweat.
* NASA astronauts answer questions from on board the Space Station via YouTube

Oh, what won't intrepid NYT reporter John Schwartz do for space journalism! Snip:

There are many elements of [NASA's current Space Shuttle Endeavor] mission, which is devoted to further construction of the station and improvements that will allow the station to double its crew size from three to six next year. But the gizmo that is getting the most attention is the “water recovery system,” which will recycle the station’s water supply. That’s right: urine, sweat in the air, waste water and other forms of moisture will be fed into the system, distilled and sent back to the tap.

The system, created at a cost of about $250 million, will recycle about 93 percent of the water used aboard the station. The cost of lifting supplies up to orbit is so high, though, that NASA estimates the system could pay for itself in as little as two years. Similar systems would be essential to maintaining long-term bases on faraway outposts on the Moon and Mars.

The astronauts don’t have a problem with this system. As Sandra H. Magnus, one of the astronauts who will be among the first to drink water produced by the new system aboard the station, noted in a recent interview, our earthbound water has been endlessly filtered through bodies, evaporated and rained down again. “We drink recycled water every day,” she said, “on a little bit longer time scale.”

You'll have to read the whole piece to learn how the stuff tastes.

Marilyn sez, "Astronauts returning from spacewalks have noticed a distinctive smell of fried steak on their space suits when they take them off. Who knew?!" Turns out, the cosmos is not vegan.

He said: “When astronauts were de-suiting and taking off helmets, they all reported quite particular odours.

“We have already produced the smell of fried steak, but hot metal is more difficult.

“We think it’s a high energy vibration in the molecule and that’s what we’re trying to add to it now.”

Space smells of steak, say Nasa (Thanks, Marilyn!)

The Asia-Pacific Space Agency continues to grow,, combining the spacefaring ambitions of China, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia and others:

"Given China's diplomatic use of space, there is a very good chance they would be taking somebody from a new country," Cheng said.

China has spearheaded the founding of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, a group intended to promote space cooperation between Asian nations. Cheng pointed out that both Iran and Pakistan are members of the group, and could be potential clients for Chinese space transport.

"I would strongly suspect that at this point in time the U.S. is probably unlikely to be taking any Iranian citizens into space," Cheng said. "But China has had successful sales of satellites to Nigeria and Venezuela, both of which are oil-producing countries, which would make Iran a candidate as someone who might send an astronaut up."

SPACE.com -- After Shenzhou Success, China Looks to the Future

Today's XKCD is epic in scope -- a log-scale map of the observable universe from top to bottom, with many in-jokes (including me!) and pop culture references. How many can you decode? Height (Thanks to everyone who suggested this!)

In today's episode of Boing Boing tv, we float around in zero gravity. With me on this Zero-G weightless flight are Intel Chairman Craig Barrett; my friend Sean Bonner from metblogs; and a bunch of science teachers from grade schools and high schools throughout the United States who were on board to conduct microgravity experiments for the kids back home. As you watch, keep an eye out for the floating lego robot, a flying pig, and the barfing guy who is totally barfing for reals -- the rest of us did not, btw, I don't get sick in space.

What you see in this episode is what it feels like, guys, and it feels awesome.

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Link to Boing Boing tv blog post with downloadable version of this video, and instructions on how to subscribe to the daily BBtv video podcast.

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(Special thanks to Peter Diamandis, and George and Loretta Whitesides)

This gigantic, gorgeous 19th-century quilt depicting the Solar System hangs at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian. The story of the maker, an early woman astronomer is really amazing, too.

This Solar System quilt was made by Ellen Harding Baker of Cedar County, Iowa, in 1876. It is 89" long and 106" wide. The wool top of this applique quilt is embellished with wool-fabric applique, wool braid, and wool and silk embroidery. Included in the design is the appliqued inscription, "Solar System," and the embroidered inscriptions, "E. H. Baker" and "A. D. 1876." The lining is a red cotton-and-wool fabric and the filling is of cotton fiber.

The maker, Sarah Ellen Harding, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1847, and married Marion Baker of Cedar County, Iowa, on October 10, 1867. They lived in Cedar County until 1878, then moved to Johnson County where Marion had a general merchandise business in Lone Tree. Ellen had seven children before she died of tuberculosis in the spring of 1886. The design of Ellen's striking and unusual quilt resembles illustrations in astronomy books of the period. Ellen used the quilt as a visual aid for lectures she gave on astronomy in the towns of West Branch, Moscow, and Lone Tree, Iowa. Astronomy was an acceptable interest for women in the 19th century, and was sometimes even fostered in their education.

Solar System Quilt (via Craft)

For my money, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Quirks and Quarks is the best science radio broadcast on the air (and the best science podcast on the net). It's witty, layperson-friendly, cutting edge, uncompromising and relentless in its quest to make science engaging and interesting to a broad, diverse audience.

So it's no surprise that Jim Lebans's The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space: 42 Questions (and Answers) About Life, the Universe and Everything is the kind of astronomy book that manages to make subjects like star classification, galactic collision, space-folding, orbital pollution and other staples of astronomical curiosity into easy-to-understand, fascinating little stories that have something to say to anyone who's ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.

Each of the 42 questions is answered in a short, breezy essay style that will be familiar to anyone who tunes into the show. These are the perfect length for reading aloud in the car on long trips, bedtime stories, or on the crapper (ideal for this last, in fact, especially when you find out about all the deadly, high-velocity space-turds released by Shuttle and Mir crews -- talk about icy BMs!). And the book is the perfect source to turn to the next time you're wondering about dark matter, dark energy, the beginning and end of the universe, and other large imponderables. The Quirks & Quarks Guide to Space: 42 Questions (and Answers) About Life, the Universe, and Everything

A group of companies, led by PGP, have ponied up a bunch of money to renovate and restore Bletchley Park, the crumbling site of the birthplace of modern cryptography. There's a lot of charm in the present, mouldering campus, but I can only imagine what a nice shot of cash could do for the place.

The fund-raising campaign will be led by cryptography provider PGP, together with IBM and other technology firms. Phil Dunkelberger, chief executive of PGP, told ZDNet UK in a video interview that the group of companies would be making donations to repair the buildings at Bletchley Park, including the National Museum of Computing, and would be calling for other organizations to get involved. Photos: A 'Cipher Challenge' for Colossus

"We're calling attention (to the fact that) Bletchley is falling into disrepair, and that, probably, the world owes a debt of gratitude to that place," Dunkelberger said.

PGP, IBM help Bletchley Park raise funds (via /.)

See also:
* Brit academics call for Bletchley Park funding
* Bletchley Park kicks so much ass
* Hams of Bletchley Park

The London Science Museum's image gallery sports this beautiful trio of nested Klein bottles (a Klein bottle is like a Moebius strip extruded into one more dimension): "This is one of a series of glass Klein bottles made by Alan Bennett in Bedford, United Kingdom for the Science Museum, London. It consists of three Klein bottles, one inside another. A Klein bottle is a surface which has no edges, no outside or inside and cannot properly be constructed in three dimensions. In the series Alan Bennett made Klein bottles analogous to Mobius strips with odd numbers of twists greater than one." Klein bottle, 1995-1996. (via Neatorama)

Astronaut and space hero Dr. Buzz Aldrin speaks with Xeni about his belief that America -- and that means you! -- must return to the moon, and soon. His nonprofit, Sharespace.org, seeks to provide "affordable space travel opportunities for all." Buzz believes that commercial space vacations should not be available only to the wealthy elite.

Editor's note: the comment trolls really are taking over around here. One of them invades this very BBtv episode. Teresa, why doesn't disemvowelling work in video? We'll have to get our hamster-engineers right on that. (cameo by BBtv Production Assistant Rob Bergsma)

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Link to Boing Boing tv post with discussion, downloadable video, and instructions on subscribing to the BBtv video podcast.

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