Scientists at Cornell University are trying to build one such, albeit uncool, piece that could prove useful. Sand Dunes In a new study published this week, a team of researchers presented a design for a spacesuit that recycles urine into drinking water, much like the stillsuits worn by the Fremen of Arrakis. The suit would enable astronauts to go on longer spacewalks, among other benefits, and scientists hope it could debut in time for upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars.
During space missions, we already recycle our body’s liquid waste into clean drinking water. For example, last year NASA Announced Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are now recycling 98% of their urine and sweat, up from 93% previously. That may sound terrible, but this reuse stretches the limited resources available to crew members.
Currently, however, astronauts cannot do the same while operating in a spacesuit. If they need to relieve themselves during a spacewalk, they use modified diapers. While this certainly helps prolong the mission, it also has its drawbacks. For one, diapers can leak, making them uncomfortable for astronauts to wear. Exposure to human waste also increases the chance of complications such as urinary tract infections. Astronauts can reduce the amount of urine they produce by drinking less water before a spacewalk, but this is dangerous in itself and limits the length of time they can safely perform a spacewalk.
From science fiction to reality
Directly inspired works Sand Dunes Author Frank Herbert and other scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College designed a spacesuit to overcome these challenges — they’ve already built a prototype and detailed its inner workings in the paper. Published Thursday Journal The forefront of space technology.
“The design involves a vacuum-based external catheter that connects to a combined forward reverse osmosis unit to provide a continuous supply of drinking water with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure the health of astronauts,” said lead author Sophia Etlin, a staff researcher at Weill Cornell Medical College and Cornell University. statement From Frontiers, the journal’s publisher.
The portable system, with different collection methods for women and men, can filter 500 milliliters of urine in about five minutes. Currently, it has a recycling rate of 87 percent, which isn’t as efficient as the larger system aboard the ISS, but should be enough to make astronauts more comfortable and last longer on spacewalks.
The need for better space suits
NASA plans to send astronauts back to the Moon in the next few years, with a manned lunar landing (the Artemis 2 mission) planned for later this decade. NASA also hopes to successfully send humans to Mars as soon as possible. 2030sin some Related Missions It’s already underway on Earth. The Cornell team believes their spacesuit will go a long way toward achieving these goals, and claims it will be ready by the time Artemis launches, but engineers need to study the suit in more detail before it can be deemed suitable for spaceflight.
“Because microgravity is a major space factor we must consider, our systems can be tested in simulated microgravity conditions. These tests ensure the functionality and safety of the systems before they are deployed on actual space missions,” Christopher Mason, professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell University and lead author of the paper, said in a statement.
Space suits that recycle urine into drinking water are certainly cool, but would a scientist die to invent a way to quickly calculate complex mathematical formulas (like the bill for a group dinner) in his mind, like Mentat does?
