How to drink coffee in space? Use surface tension

We’re still trying to wrap our heads around this innovative design from astronaut Donald H. Pettit: it’s for a unique coffee mug that would presumably allow space travellers to still enjoy a hot cuppa in zero gravity.

As described on the design site Tuvie, the on-orbit coffee cup would keep coffee in the mug — rather than allow to to float as a zero-gravity blob of liquid — using surface tension. A deep groove leading to the lip of the mug would then “wick” coffee up toward the caffeine-deprived astronaut.

Will it work in real life? No word on a successful test yet, but it’s sure a cool concept.

(Hat tip to DVICE.)