2023-07-02 17:10:02
News JVTech ISS: NASA recycles astronauts’ urine and perspiration into drinking water. And it’s a major step for the conquest of space
Published on 02/07/2023 at 19:10
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NASA has just announced that it has taken an important technological step, which might have a positive and unavoidable impact on space missions in the coming years. It now manages to recycle 98% of the water that astronauts bring on board the ISS.
In space, nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed… Or almost! NASA is working on it, in any case, actively. Last Sunday, the American space agency made a major announcement: it passed what it considers “an important step in water harvesting on the International Space Station”.
In summary, the ECLSS system (Environmental Control and Life Support System) which equips the ISS is now able to recycle 98% of the water astronauts bring aboard the station. This takes into account perspiration, which is captured via “advanced dehumidifiers”. But it also includes urine.
An ISS subsystem dedicated to the recycling of pee
The named subsystem « Urine Processor Assembly » is responsible for recover astronaut urination via a form of vacuum distillation. This process makes it possible to produce water, but also urine brine, which contains water that can still be recovered. NASA has started testing a new device capable of recovering water from this brineand the success of this experiment makes it possible to reach the famous 98% recovery. Previously, the ISS was able to recycle between 93 and 94% of the water brought on board by astronauts.
“This is a very important step forward in the evolution of life support systemscommented Christopher Brown, a member of the Johnson Space Center team that manages the space station’s life support system. “Let’s say you collect 100 pounds of water from the station. You lose two pounds of it and the other 98% just keeps going around in circles. Maintaining this functioning is a rather impressive achievement. »
“A small can of recycled pee?” (Credit: NASA)
A hopeful progression for the Moon and for Mars
If this innovation is an event for NASA, it is because it provides solutions to issues that will become ubiquitous as space exploration moves away from Earth.
“The inability to resupply while exploring means we need to be able to salvage whatever resources the crew needs for those missions. The less water and oxygen we have to ship, the more science can be added to the launcher. Reliable and robust regeneration systems mean that the crew does not have to worry regarding it and can concentrate on the true objective of their mission”summarizes Jill Williamson, ECLSS water subsystems manager.
The technologies used on board the ISS might be used during missions to the Moon, and probably to Mars in the decades to come. And if the prospect of drinking your recycled urine in space does not make you dream, beyond the fact that it may simply be a condition of survival, NASA puts the process into perspective: “The treatment is basically similar to some terrestrial water systems, just done in microgravity”explains Jill Williamson. “The crew don’t drink urine; they drink water that has been collected, filtered and cleaned so that it is cleaner than what we drink here on Earth. » We would almost come to envy the astronauts…
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