The Morning After: NASA is recycling 98 percent of astronaut pee on the ISS into drinkable water
NASA has achieved a technological milestone, announcing the International Space Station's Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is now recycling 98 percent of all water astronauts bring onboard. Advanced dehumidifiers capture moisture from the station's crew breaths and sweats, while urine processor assembly recovers water from astronauts' urine through vacuum distillation.
According to NASA, the distillation process produces water and a urine brine that still contains reclaimable H20. Now, a new device can extract the remaining water in the brine, increasing the water recovery rate from 93 to 98 percent. If the idea is making you gag, it shouldn't, says Jill Williamson, NASA's ECLSS water subsystems manager. The crew is not drinking urine; they are drinking water that has been reclaimed, filtered and cleaned such that it is cleaner than what we drink here on Earth." I'll pass.
- Mat Smith
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-nasa-is-recycling-98-percent-of-astronaut-pee-on-the-iss-into-drinkable-water-111541147.html?src=rss