WTF | November 15, 2008 | 13 comments

Filtered urine to become new water source for ISS

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7729085.stm

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InformedTexan
Among the ship's cargo, which will help prepare the station for an expanded six-person crew, is a water regeneration system that, as one astronaut puts it, "will make yesterday's coffee into today's coffee".

"It's one of these great circle-of-life things," explained Don Pettit, a former space station science officer serving as a mission specialist aboard Endeavour.

The new system distils, filters, ionizes and oxidizes wastewater - including urine -- into fresh water for drinking.

With the space shuttles due to retire in two years, Nasa needed another way to make sure the station crew would have a good supply of fresh water.

The orbiters make water as a byproduct of their electrical systems. On missions to the space station, the water is bagged and transferred over to the outpost for storage.

"When the shuttles retire, that nice water-delivery system that we have will go away," said Endeavour astronaut Sandra Magnus, who will be staying behind on the station for a four-month flight.

The water has been thoroughly tested on Earth, including blind taste tests that pitted recycled urine with similarly treated tap water.

"Some people may think it's downright disgusting, but if it's done correctly, you process water that's purer than what you drink here on Earth," said Endeavour astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.

The most frequent comment was the faint taste of iodine in the water, added Nasa's Bob Bagdigian, who oversaw development of the water regeneration system.

Iodine is added at the final step of the process to control microbial growth.

"Other than that, it is just as refreshing as any other kind of water," Mr Bagdigian said.

"I've got some in my fridge. It tastes fine to me."
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13 comments // Filtered urine to become new water source for ISS

  • InformedTexan
  • Armageddon_Now
  • jeich55
    • 0
      jeich55  

    • whats next? munching on feces? with my luck I would get a defective machine and get a yellow mustache and urine breath! You probably wouldnt make friends too easily with this machine. does it have a urinal on one side and faucet on the other? interesting.

    • 4 years ago
  • oR2o
    • 0
      oR2o  

    • Not a new discovery... It is just that in the age of being Environmentally friendly and Recycling conscious NASA has just jumped on board.

      Perhaps now retrofitting your home in order to utilize gray water will become a bit easier and there will be less red tape in completing it.

      Though I would probably be a bit hesitant drinking water at some peoples house.

    • 4 years ago
  • bedeboop
    • 0
      bedeboop  

    • bleh....also, I thought drinking urine was unhealthy. I mean, isn't what is coming out the toxins your body need to get rid of?

    • 4 years ago
  • Cuddlebones
  • KOVAKABANA
  • colea4
    • 0
      colea4  

    • Water World, noooooo! - I had to say it too. I guess it's Space World though. How interesting, I can say I am glad to be alive in such a progressive technology era.

    • 4 years ago
  • blood77
  • phillyphil
    • 0
      phillyphil  

    • my friend met a really healthy guy that drinks his own urine first thing in the morning from the day before. he just takes a little bit, but says that it helps his body get better at absorbing nutrients and knowing what compounds it doesn't digest well.... weird.

      this is great tho. whenever we spend a bunch of money on space we always seem to get unintended inventions that are helpful to non-space related fields (ex. microchip)

    • 4 years ago
  • current89
  • InformedTexan
  • current89
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