Natural Light Is First Beer In Space, Launched By Brew's Facebook Fans
This can of Natty Light is out of this world -- literally.
On Nov. 18, Natural Light became the first beer launched into space thanks the efforts of Facebook fans Danny and Rich, according to the YouTube video description.
The two men approached the company with the idea, and Natural Light said "go for it, just let us know when ya shoot it off!"
The entire flight took about two hours, and the spacecraft -- named The Aluminum Fullcan -- reached an altitude of more than 90,000 ft.
The Aluminum Fullcan was a Styrofoam cooler containing a vacuum-sealed, full can of Natty Light. Attached to the craft was a tracking device, a video camera and an empty can of beer for decoration.
While Natty Night might have been the first beer launched into space, it's not the first created from barley grown there.
In 2008, Japanese brewery Sapporo made beer using barley grown at the International Space Station, Astro Engine points out.
However, the beer was not consumed at the ISS. Drinking beer in space results in a "wet burp," due to carbonation and zero gravity.
Discovery News explains the phenomenon:
There's little gravity to keep the fluid in your stomach, but you still need to vent that carbon dioxide that is expanding inside your belly. You try to burp.... but you end up venting the carbon dioxide, beer, and whatever else was inside your stomach through your mouth and nose. This, my friends, is called a "wet burp"; an explosive near-vomit experience guaranteed to gross out anyone who has the misfortune to be floating around with you.
But earlier this year, Saber Astronautics Australia and Four Pines Brewing Company partnered to create the first "space beer," which can be consumed on earth and up above.
"The gases and the liquids don't like to separate in zero gravity," Jason Held, director of Saber Astronautics Australia told News.com.au. "So we've reduced the carbonation a bit and given a really strong [flavor] to the beer."
For more about the Natty Light beer can launch, view the video above.
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First Posted: 11/29/11 05:57 PM ET Updated: 11/29/11 06:09 PM ET