Going outside the International Space Station (ISS) is tough enough without having to worry about needing to go to the bathroom mid-spacewalk, but scientists say they’ve devised a new way to capture astronauts’ urine and reuse it as drinking water within minutes.
For many years, astronauts have used disposable diapers inside their spacesuits to relieve themselves during spacewalks around the ISS. Maximum absorbency clothing (MAG). These clothes are, Early 1980s The system collects and stores urine, allowing astronauts to “be active” on the go. But spacewalks can last up to eight hours, and MAG can be physically uncomfortable for astronauts. Risk of skin irritation and infection .
Because MAG does not recycle water from urine, astronauts need to replenish a certain amount of fluid while walking. 0.2 gallons (0.95 liters) of water I carry it in the drink bag inside my suit.
But now scientists think they’ve found a solution to the problem: a new, lightweight system that can collect and purify about 1.69 fluid ounces (500 milliliters) of water from urine in just five minutes inside a human spacesuit.
In the proposed system, astronauts would wear underwear made from a flexible compression material and lined with antibacterial fabric, including a urine-detecting moisture sensor that would be placed in a silicone cup under the wearer’s genitals.
When urine is detected, a vacuum pump is activated and the urine is drawn up into a filter device worn on the astronaut’s back. The filter, which weighs 17.6 pounds (8 kilograms), converts the urine into fresh water, which is then sent to a beverage bag in the spacesuit.
The new system is still in early testing, but if successful, its team says it could help solve a dilemma for astronauts on space missions: what to do with urine during a spacewalk is particularly important given NASA’s plans. Build a permanent base on the moon within the next decade .
The research team described their new device in a paper published in the journal Nature on Friday (July 12). The forefront of space technology So far, laboratory tests have shown that the device effectively removes key components of urine and reduces salt levels to meet health standards, the team said.
Side views of the new backpack-type urine filtering device (left) and the underwear that astronauts will wear (right). (Images by Karen Morales, right image by Claire Walter)
“Getting urine out of the body as quickly as possible should help reduce some of the health complications astronauts currently experience, such as rashes, urinary tract infections and digestive problems.” Sophia Etlin “The results are encouraging,” lead study author and Weill Cornell Medicine researcher David B. Wilson told Live Science in an email.
“Second, the increased supply of water our system produces will help keep astronauts hydrated,” Etlin added.
Because spacesuits are limited in size and battery capacity, the size and energy requirements of any new system will need to be carefully considered, but improving astronaut health and performance and providing sufficient water in an emergency is a worthwhile trade-off, the authors write in their paper.
“Sending new technology into space is a very time-consuming process,” Etlin said, and the team tested the filtration system, “but further studies in humans will be needed to optimize fit and comfort.”
The team also needs to see whether the device works in conditions actually found in space, such as microgravity. If tests on Earth are successful, the suit could be tested during an actual spacewalk from the International Space Station.
“Our system will likely only be implemented for new spacesuit specifications, which will require further tuning of the technology,” Etlin said, “so we probably won’t see astronauts without diapers next year, but who knows what the future holds.”
Originally published in LiveScience.
