In the coming years, space travel is expected to become more frequent and spacewalks may extend to longer durations. To make this possible, American scientists are developing a filtration device that can be integrated into space suits to turn astronauts’ urine into drinking water while they are out on spacewalks.
According to a report by “New Scientist” on July 12th, although the International Space Station has systems in place to recycle astronauts’ urine and sweat, the bulky equipment required for this process cannot fit into the space suits.
In dealing with the waste produced by astronauts during spacewalks, NASA’s current solution is the “Maximum Absorbency Garment,” essentially an adult diaper designed to collect urine and feces.
At the end of a spacewalk, the used absorbent garment is disposed of in the waste system of the International Space Station, ultimately incinerated in the Earth’s atmosphere. This is deemed an unsatisfactory waste of resources.
Christopher Mason, a professor of physiology and biophysics at Cornell University, stated that current space suits are adequate for spacewalks lasting only a few hours, but the increasing frequency of space activities calls for better solutions.
Mason and his team are developing a device weighing 8 kilograms and about the size of a shoebox, capable of purifying urine collected via unisex external catheters using dual-channel reverse osmosis filters with an efficiency of up to 87%. The remaining 13% of water, unable to be extracted, will be retained in the filters.
The purified water can then be consumed and transported to pouches within the space suits via piping, ensuring a steady supply of drinking water. The current NASA space suits can only provide less than 1 liter of drinking water, which is often insufficient for prolonged spacewalks.
This filtration technology mirrors that already present on the International Space Station. However, the research team notes that the waste water on the station contains soap and chemicals, which are absent in astronauts’ urine, making water extraction easier.
Mason mentioned that the technology for extracting water from feces is not yet “completely solved,” but this does not hinder the research progress, as astronauts have expressed their ability to withhold bowel movements during spacewalks.
Currently, the device is only a prototype undergoing laboratory testing, with human trials set to begin in November, involving urine collection, urine recycling, and consumption of purified water.
Researchers state that the device can be integrated into new versions of space suits. NASA has signed a contract with the private company Axiom Space to manufacture updated space suits for astronauts to use in the upcoming Artemis III manned lunar mission.