A recent experiment on the ISS has hinted at the potential to age wine faster in space than on Earth. This could revolutionize the winemaking industry and provide an economic reason to invest more in space infrastructure.
The experiment, which was part of a series called MISSION WISE, involved flying twelve bottles of Bordeaux to the ISS back in 2019. After 438 days in Low Earth Orbit, the bottles were returned to Earth and tasted alongside bottles that had aged normally.
The results of the taste test were surprising. The wine that had aged in space had a different color and taste, and it seemed to have aged at least 2-3 times more than the wine that had aged on Earth.
There are still many unanswered questions about how microgravity affects the aging process of wine. However, the preliminary results of MISSION WISE suggest that aging wine in space could be a viable commercial enterprise.
If space-aged wine becomes available, it could be a valuable commodity for collectors and connoisseurs. It could also provide an economic reason to invest more in space infrastructure.
The research team behind MISSION WISE is currently planning further experiments to understand how microgravity affects the aging process of wine. They are also working on other projects that use microgravity and space radiation to improve the viability of plants in a changing climate.
It remains to be seen if aging wine in space will become a major business. However, the preliminary results of MISSION WISE are promising. If this technology can be scaled up, it could have a significant impact on the winemaking industry and the future of space exploration.