Experimental distillery at the space station

Whisky is made at the International Space Station. With the unique experiment the role of gravity will be tested.

Experiments using malt from the Ardbeg distillery on Islay are being carried out on the International Space Station to see how it matures without gravity.

Compounds of unmatured malt were sent to the station in an unmanned cargo spacecraft in October last year, along with particles of charred oak.

Scientists want to understand how they interact at close to zero gravity.

NanoRacks LLC, the US company behind the research, has said understanding the influence of gravity could help a number of industries, including the whisky industry, to develop new products in the future.

The experiment, unveiled at the Edinburgh International Science Centre, will last for at least two years.

The molecules are tiny parts of the two substances known as terpenes – a set of chemicals which are often aromatic and flavour-active.

The Ardbeg Distillery has been producing whisky for more than 300 years

It is believed the experiment is the first time anyone has ever studied terpenes and other molecules in near-zero gravity. (MTI, after bbc.co.uk)