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Scottish and Japanese engineers plan to send Scotch whisky into orbit on a SpaceX rocket in 2028

From the Newshound archive · first published 5 October 2026 · last updated 6 October 2026.

The International Space Station, from whose Japanese module the whisky samples will be deployed into orbit, as scientists expect space-aged Scotch to develop flavours unlike anything produced on Earth.
The International Space Station, from whose Japanese module the whisky samples will be deployed into orbit, as scientists expect space-aged Scotch to develop flavours unlike anything produced on Earth.
Scottish and Japanese engineers plan to launch tiny whisky samples on a five-year SpaceX mission in 2028, led by Dr Gilles Bailet of the University of Glasgow.
Scottish and Japanese engineers plan to launch tiny whisky samples on a five-year SpaceX mission in 2028, led by Dr Gilles Bailet of the University of Glasgow.

Scottish and Japanese engineers are planning to launch tiny samples of Scotch whisky and its base ingredients into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket in 2028, on a five-year mission nicknamed 'Space Puffin'. The extreme temperature swings of space — cycling between scorching heat and freezing cold every 90 minutes — could dramatically speed up the spirit's maturation process. Dr Gilles Bailet of the University of Glasgow is leading the project, with students already travelling between Scotland and Japan to co-design the cubesat satellite that will carry the samples.

The whisky will be deployed into orbit from the Japanese module of the International Space Station.

Scientists expect space-aged Scotch to develop 'very bold' flavours unlike anything produced on Earth.

Collectors already pay hundreds of thousands for the rarest bottles — space-aged drams would command astronomical prices given launch costs.

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