This spacesuit turns urine into drinking water. Say what now!
Scientists have developed a prototype spacesuit that can convert urine into potable water, potentially facilitating longer spacewalks for future lunar missions. The suit, inspired by the "stillsuits" from the science fiction novel Dune, purifies and returns urine as drinkable water within five minutes. The inventors hope this technology will be incorporated into NASA's Artemis program, aimed at enabling extended stays for astronauts on other planets.
Spacesuit design aims to improve wellbeing
The suit has a vacuum-based external catheter leading to a forward-reverse osmosis unit. This provides a continuous supply of safe drinking water, according to Sofia Etlin, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, and co-designer of the suit. Etlin also says multiple safety mechanisms are in place to ensure astronaut well-being. This innovation comes as NASA gears up for the Artemis III mission in 2026, aiming for crewed missions to Mars by the 2030s.
Addressing current challenges in astronaut hydration
Etlin noted that astronauts currently only have one liter of water in their in-suit drink bags, insufficient for extended lunar spacewalks lasting up to 24 hours. She also highlighted issues with the current waste management solution, known as maximum absorbency garment (MAG), which is reportedly leak-prone, uncomfortable, and unhygienic. These problems have forced some astronauts to limit food and drink intake before spacewalks, and others to suffer from urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Stillsuit system: A solution for space hydration
The proposed stillsuit system includes a silicone collection cup designed to fit around the genitalia, with different shapes and sizes for women and men. This cup connects to a moisture-activated vacuum pump that automatically switches on when the astronaut starts urinating. The urine is then diverted to a filtration system where it is recycled into water with an efficiency of 87%, using an osmosis system and a pump to separate water from salt.
Fast and efficient water recycling for space missions
The process of collection and purification of 500ml of urine takes only five minutes. Once processed, the filtered water might be enriched with electrolytes and returned to the astronaut as an energy drink. The system measures 38x23x23cm, weighs approximately 8kg, and can be carried on the back of a spacesuit. The research team plans to recruit 100 volunteers in New York in Q4 to test the system's comfort and functionality.
