Samantha Cristoforetti, the first female astronaut from Italy, has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) to begin her five-month long mission.
Aside from being the first Italian female astronaut, she is also the first woman sent by the European Space Agency on a long-term mission in space.
The 37-year-old Cristoforetti left Earth on Sunday through a space shuttle launch in Kazakhstan. Her work on the ISS will involve conducting various experiments and relaying the results back to the Earth-bound scientists.
For the trip, the former fighter pilot for the Italian Air Force brought with her a 3D printer. The device will be tested by the other astronauts if they could replicate parts of the station or spacecraft for maintenance purposes.
Another piece of equipment that Cristoforetti brought with her was an espresso machine. The device, dubbed as ISSpresso , was modified to operate in space. It was the product of a joint effort by coffee company Lavazza and space-food manufacturer Argotec, according to The Guardian.
"ISSpresso is a technological achievement that conforms to the technical requirements and ultra-strict security measures imposed on us by the Italian space agency," Argotec Director General David Avino said.
According to the two firms, the inclusion of the ISSpresso will leave a historical mark in Cristoforetti's career, Daily Mail reported.
"[Cristoforetti] will not only be the first female astronaut from Italy to go into space, but also the very first astronaut in the history of the conquest of space to savor an authentic Italian espresso in orbit," Lavazza and Argotec said in a press statement.
For the mission, Cristoforetti has joined another female crew member of the space station, cosmonaut Elena Serova from Russia. She is one of the four female cosmonauts of Russia and the first one to stay at the space station.
Aside from the two women, four male astronauts are also part of the mission.
