BEIJING, Aug. 24, 2022 (Xinhua) — China’s manned space agency said the Chinese space station that houses the Shenzhou-14 crew in orbit now has the capacity to produce more than 90 percent of drinking water through recycling, with less than 10 percent savings. from Earth.
Recycling is carried out through the environmental control and life support system installed on the space station, which consists of six subsystems in succession for the production of oxygen by electrolysis of water, removal of carbon dioxide, removal of harmful gases, urine treatment, water treatment and water production with dioxide. carbon and hydrogen.
With the purpose of creating an Earth-like habitable living environment in space, the Environmental Control and Life Support System regulates air pressure, oxygen content, wind speed, temperature and humidity, among others, inside the spacecraft, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
The system reduces cabin noise with sound-absorbing covers, acoustic panels, vibration isolators and shock pads.
It added that it collects astronauts’ sweat and urine, purifies them and turns them into drinking water, and produces oxygen by electrolysis of recycled water.
The water-producing subsystem by exhaling carbon dioxide and hydrogen from water electrolysis, the latest innovation, was installed on the space station and tested by the Earth-assisted Shenzhou-14 crew.
The new subsystem can help recycle an additional kilogram of water per day, raising the proportion of drinking water generated by recycling from 80 percent to more than 90 percent.
As a core technology necessary for manned missions in China, the Environmental Control and Life Support System has ensured the safety of astronauts in orbit and helped build a livable space station, the China Manned Space Agency said.
The agency added that researchers are currently working on next-generation regeneration technologies, including food regeneration, to maximize the reuse of space station materials in the future.