In a space-struck innovation, there is confidence that astronauts on future NASA space trips will be able to take a sip of recycled urine from right within their spacesuits without having to pack around added drinkable water. This will change waste management on spacewalks, especially by NASA during the impending Artemis missions.
For now, astronauts use the Maximum Absorbency Garment, a sophisticated name for an adult diaper, to handle waste in space. The way may work, but it surely is far from working as it is intended. The MAG is reported to be unsanitary and uncomfortable and further criticized for causing serious health problems such as UTIs and gastrointestinal distress. Also, with the current spacesuits, the water available is less than a single liter, too small to match long spacewalks lasting over ten hours.
The new system imitates what is popular in the sci-fi series Dune, “stillsuits” where it uses a vacuum-based external catheter hooked to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit to filter the urine into potable water with an efficiency amounting to 87%. This work, however, will allow for this already-clean water to be consumed directly by the astronaut through an in-suit drink bag, which will help maintain their normal bodily functions during long-term space missions. “The design includes multiple safety mechanisms to ensure astronaut wellbeing,” said Sofia Etlin, a research staff member at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University.
This work is critical for current and future NASA missions and beyond, with space exploration once again as a [top] priority for the government and science community, said Chris Mason, a professor at Cornell University. “People that are pushing the limits of humanity will often trade discomfort for the opportunity to explore an entirely new area of science or medicine,” he added. The filtration technique being used is close to that done on the International Space Station but is more efficient. It deals with pure urine free from soaps and chemicals.
So far, the shoe-box-sized prototype weighing roughly 8 kilograms has undergone testing under laboratory conditions. Human trials, where urine will be collected, recycled, and consumed, are due to start by November. The researchers believe the system should be integrated into the new spacesuits being designed for NASA’s Artemis missions by Axiom Space.
This innovation is set to solve these hygiene and comfort concerns concerning the MAG, and it also increases the overall efficacy of the mission by providing a reliable water source. “Our system can be tested in simulated microgravity conditions, as microgravity is the primary space factor we must account for,” said Mason. These verification tests will ensure the system can function safely before deploying to space in actual missions.
As the space agency pushes forward with ambitious missions to the moon’s surface and eventually to Mars, the new technology in development is a huge leap for astronaut health and mission success. This capability made recycling urine into potable drinking water possible, just in case the situation went south and supplies ran out.
Conclusion The development of this advanced urine filtration system marks a very important stage in space exploration. By taking issues of waste management and water supply in spacesuits out of the picture, NASA in partnership w