NASA / NASA
research worker have created a prototype spacesuit that ’s capable of recycling piss into drinking water .
inspire by the “ stillsuits ” in the sci - fi classicDune , the unique design could enable astronauts to partake in lengthier spacewalks on the moon during the upcoming Artemis missions .
NASA / NASA
“ The purpose includes a vacuum - base external catheter leading to a combined forward - reverse osmosis unit , providing a uninterrupted supply of drinkable H2O with multiple safety mechanism to check spaceman well - being , ” Sofia Etlin , a inquiry faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University , and the subject ’s first generator , said in the scientific journal Frontiers .
The farsighted time that spaceman currently spend aside from bathroom facilities is around seven hour straight during spacewalks outside the International Space Station ( ISS ) . The bulky spacesuit fag for such activities hold an absorbency garment — a variety of multilayered diaper — should nature call while the spaceman is working outside the station . But the garments are uncomfortable and can cause hygiene problems .
“ The MAG [ maximum absorbency garment ] has reportedly leak and cause health issues such as urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal distress , ” Etlin said , adding that the current suits carry in - suit drink bags equal to of holding a liter of water supply , an amount deficient for lunar walkabout that could last as long as 10 hours .
The prototype suit include an unmentionable made of multiple layers of pliant fabric , which connect to a collection cupful with a unlike shape and size for char and men . The urine is diverted to a battery - powered urine filtration system contained inside a backpack . Here , it gets recycle with an efficiency of 87 % through a two - step osmosis filtration arrangement . The purified water is enriched in electrolyte and pump into the in - suit drunkenness purse , with the collection and purification of 500 milliliters of urine take a mere five minutes .
The newly designed cause is quick to be try under simulated conditions before being trialed in factual spacewalks .
Astronauts aboard the ISSalready drink water recycled from urine , so transfer the technology to a spacesuit do pure sense .
NASA is planning toland two astronauts on the moonlight in 2026as part of the extremely anticipated Artemis III mission . afterward , the quad way hop-skip to build a lasting foundation on the moon from which astronauts will be able to go on lengthy junket , and it ’s these mission across the lunar control surface where the new spacesuit would prove particularly utile .
