Scotch whisky samples to be sent to space in 'Space Puffin' mission to test ageing

Space usually brings to mind satellites, telescopes and the search for life on other planets. This time, scientists are attempting something different. Researchers from Scotland and Japan are preparing to send samples of Scotch whisky into the harsh environment of space.

The experiment will examine how microgravity and sharp temperature changes in space affect the ageing, or maturation, of whisky.

The ambitious project has been named 'Space Puffin'. The mission is proposed for 2028. A small CubeSat will be sent into space carrying small samples of whisky, along with the material used in making it.

The project is led by Dr Giles Bailet of the University of Glasgow. Engineers, chemists and students from Scotland and Japan are part of the research.

The plan is to carry the CubeSat to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX cargo supply mission in 2028. It will then be released into Earth orbit through the Japanese Experiment Module. For about five years, the satellite will circle the Earth and continue the experiment on the whisky.

On Earth, whisky is matured for several years in oak casks. During this time a chemical reaction between the wood and the spirit gives the whisky its distinctive colour, taste and aroma.

Sending large, heavy casks into space is difficult both technically and in terms of cost. The researchers have therefore chosen another method. A special chamber will be built into the CubeSat in which a small quantity of spirit will be kept in contact with small pieces of oak.

The CubeSat will complete one orbit of the Earth in about 90 minutes, so it will pass through widely varying temperatures. These changes can make the wood contract and expand rapidly. The researchers will examine whether this speeds up the chemical process between the wood and the whisky.

This is the central question of the experiment. On Earth, whisky takes several years to mature. If the process is faster in space conditions, it could open the way to making whisky with a distinctive taste and aroma in less time. According to Dr Bailet, the main aim of the experiment is to understand how changes in space affect the wood and how that alters the ageing of the whisky.

It is not merely an experiment in sending whisky into space but a modern scientific research project. Sensors on the CubeSat will study changes in the whisky's colour, its chemical composition and changes at the molecular level. The data will be sent to research centres on Earth.

The research could help in better understanding the chemical processes behind the maturation of whisky. The researchers also hope that a separate premium category of whisky matured in space conditions could emerge in future.