Technologies

SpaceX ‘orbited hops’ landed in an IPA. Here’s how it tastes

I find out whether you can taste the space in the Inspiration4 Space Craft IPA.

I’ve just had the closest thing to an off-world Star Trek Romulan ale I will likely ever drink. Samuel Adams’ Space Craft IPA is a brew with a twist: It’s made with «orbited hops.»

When the private astronauts on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Inspiration4 mission circled Earth in September, they weren’t alone. The payload included 66 pounds (30 kilograms) of Citra and Mosaic hops (two classic choices for IPAs). In exchange for the hops, Samuel Adams pledged $100,000 to St. Jude Children’s Hospital as part of the mission’s fundraiser.

The special-release Space Craft is only available through Samuel Adams’ Boston brewery and taproom.

I’m a craft beer aficionado, frequenting my local breweries and willing to try everything from pickle beers to French’s Mustard Beer. I’ve tasted a lot of IPAs, but it’s not my favorite style, so I called in the most experienced (and toughest) IPA critic I know, my mother.

Samuel Adams gives this description of the West Coast-style Space Craft: «Firm bitterness, with generous tropical notes of grapefruit, guava and passionfruit co-pilot classic piney and resiny hop aromatics.» Our verdict? That’s pretty accurate.

The IPA pours a lightly hazy golden honey color and offers a gentle nose my mother describes as «diffuse honeysuckle.» The grapefruit notes stand out and it rolls to a dry finish. My mother calls it «a very decent IPA» that’s «typical of West Coast,» a style that tends toward bold bitterness and pine. At 50 IBUs, Space Craft is more soft-spoken than some of the super-bitter IPA options.

But you really want to know if we can taste the space. We can’t. I would never guess the hops in Space Craft had been in orbit.

We’ve already seen space Scotch whisky, which the experts said tasted quite different than its Earth-matured counterpart. But ale is another animal. Hops is just one ingredient in a recipe that also calls for yeast, malt and water.

As commercial opportunities continue to open up in space, we can expect more food and drink products that prominently feature a space-related component. Sometimes, the orbital journey might make a difference in the flavor. Sometimes, it will mostly be a marketing hook.

If Samuel Adam’s Space Craft is just marketing, I’m OK with that. There’s still something soul-stirring about holding a can in my hand and knowing a little piece of its contents circled the planet far, far above me.

From fiery launch to sweeping orbit to thrilling landing, those IPA hops lived a life I will probably never experience. With my feet on Earth and a glass in my hand, I’m a little more connected to human space exploration. Cheers.

Technologies

Fit a Massive 130-Inch Screen in Your Pocket With These $299 Xreal AR Glasses

The Air 2s feature USB-C connectivity and a built-in sound system, and you can grab them at a record-low price right now.

Enjoying your favorite movies, shows and games on the go just got a whole lot easier. These Xreal Air 2 AR glasses allow you to fit a massive 130-inch display in your pocket, and right now you can snag yourself a pair at an all-time low price. Amazon now has them on sale for $299, which is a $60 discount. There’s no telling how long this deal will last, so you may want to get your order in soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

These augmented reality glasses have some pretty impressive specs and features considering they weigh in at just 72 grams. They’re come with 0.55-inch micro OLED panels, which allows you to enjoy your content on a massive 130-inch spatial display. They boast 1080p HD resolution, 500 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth performance, making them a solid option for gaming. Plus, they’re easy to connect to your phone, laptop or game console with a USB-C video input. You can also connect them to devices with an HDMI port, but you’ll need a separate adapter. They’re also equipped with built-in speakers so you can be fully immersed.

Why this deal matters

VR and AR devices are getting more affordable every day, but they still aren’t exactly cheap. Deals on cutting-edge tech like these Xreal Air 2 glasses don’t come around very often, so a chance to grab yourself a pair at a record-low price is a bargain you’ll want to jump on while you can.

Technologies

Here’s an Image of the Asteroid Everyone Was Worried About

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured a glimpse of the asteroid that had a chance of impacting Earth three months ago.

It’s not every day that an asteroid causes as much buzz as 2024 YR4. At one point, the asteroid had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth, creating plenty of headlines about its potential impact. The threat is all but gone, but now we have pictures of the once-worrisome asteroid.

The imagery was captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and posted by the European Space Agency on Wednesday. The JWST captured the asteroid with two of its cameras, including the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-Infrared Instrument. The former measures reflected light, while the latter shows thermal energy.

The pictures demonstrate a couple of fun facts about the asteroid. It is the smallest object ever targeted by JWST’s instruments to date, and it’s one of the smallest objects ever directly measured. Estimates initially put the asteroid at around 40 to 90 meters. The actual size turned out to be 60 meters or around 180 feet.

«These measurements indicate that this asteroid does not share properties observed in larger asteroids,» the ESA said in its blog post. «This is likely a combination of its fast spin and lack of fine-grained sand on its surface. Further research is needed, however, this is considered consistent with a surface dominated by rocks that are roughly fist-sized or larger.»

Per NASA, the asteroid will only be visible from Earth for a little longer. The asteroid’s orbit is currently taking it away from Earth, and the agency estimates that it’ll disappear from even the strongest instruments by late April or early May. It won’t be visible again until 2028 when its orbit brings it back toward Earth.

The moon, on the other hand…

The 2024 YR4 asteroid caused quite a stir when astronomers first reported it via the Minor Planet Center in December 2024. Based on the data collected on its trajectory at that point, the asteroid had a 1.3% chance of hitting Earth.

The percentage fluctuated over the next few months, reaching as high as 3.1%. After further research, the odds dropped dramatically to 0.28%. Per NASA’s Sentry tool — which monitors asteroids that may impact Earth — the threat now sits at 0.00078%.

The moon may not be so lucky. Per NASA, the odds of the asteroid impacting the moon are somewhere around 3.8%, which is even higher odds than the asteroid ever had of impacting Earth. Scientists are gathering data before the asteroid disappears, but it’s likely we won’t know more until the asteroid comes back into view in 2028.