NASA is working on lifesupport systems that can recycle consumables like food and water and is testing them on the International Space Station (ISS).
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Milestone
The life support systems should ideally recover about 98% of the water that the astronauts bring to the orbiting space lab. NASA has now achieved that goal.
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ECLSS
The milestone was achieved using the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on the ISS. ECLSS contains several components including a water recovery system.
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Assessments
There are sensors that assess the purity of the recycled water and if it doesn't match the standards, it is sent for reprocessing.
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Storage
The system also adds iodineto the recycled water to prevent contamination and then stores it, making it readily available for the crew to use.
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Recycled water
The team claims that their recycled water in space is "far superior" to what municipal water systems produce on Earth.