Suit that Recycles Urine into Drinkable Water for Long Spacewalks Invented

July 15, 2024 Justin Peters

Envision a revolutionary spacesuit that transforms urine into drinkable water within 5 minutes, supporting extended spacewalks for astronauts on future lunar missions. This innovative suit, purifies urine and provides it back to astronauts via a tube.

Since the days of the Apollo missions, life-support systems have evolved dramatically. Back then, astronauts relied on rudimentary methods for waste management, which were often cumbersome and inefficient.

However, this new spacesuit developed by Sofia Etlin from Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, represents a quantum leap, utilizing state-of-the-art technology to ensure sustainability and comfort for astronauts on prolonged missions.

The suit is set to be utilized in NASA’s Artemis program by the decade’s end, focusing on sustaining long-term extraterrestrial presence.

Etlin detailed that the suit incorporates a vacuum-based catheter and a dual osmosis system, ensuring continuous potable water with multiple safeguards.

NASA’s Artemis III mission in 2026 aims to land a crew on the moon’s south pole. This paves the way for human Mars missions in the 2030s. Though the ISS already recycles urine and sweat, a similar system is crucial for spacewalks, according to Etlin.

“Astronauts have just one liter of water in their in-suit drink bags,” she said. “This isn’t enough for the lengthy lunar spacewalks, which can last up to 24 hours in emergencies.”

The current maximum absorbency garment (MAG), akin to an adult diaper, faces criticism for discomfort and leaks, leading to issues like UTIs and restricted intake of water before spacewalks.

Etlin said, “Astronauts often can’t differentiate between urine and sweat due to leaks. Future commercial astronauts might not accept this as stoically.”

The stillsuit prototype features a silicone cup for the genitalia, different for men and women within a multi-layered garment. A moisture-activated pump collects urine, which is filtered at 87% efficiency, with the purified water returned as an electrolyte-rich drink.

Measuring 38cm by 23cm by 23cm and weighing around 8kg, the system is designed to fit on a spacesuit’s back. Also, the prototype details is published in the journal Frontiers in Space Technology.

The team plans to recruit 100 volunteers in New York to test its comfort and functionality under simulated microgravity conditions.

Professor Christopher Mason, the study’s senior author, emphasized, “Testing in simulated microgravity is essential to ensure the system’s effectiveness and safety for actual missions.”