Recycles urine and moisture from the air
One of the tasks facing human space scientists is to provide for the basic needs of the crew members. NASA said that it has reached a very important milestone in the ability to process this or that moisture emitted by astronauts into drinking water.
In particular, the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is able to restore up to 98% of the fluid excreted by humans. Water is taken from two main sources: the urine of astronauts and moisture that is in the air of a spacecraft or station.
NASA has achieved processing of 98% of the moisture emitted by astronauts
This is a very important step forward in the development of life support systems. Let’s say you collect 100 pounds of water from a station. You lose two pounds of it and the other 98% just keep going in circles. Maintaining this state is a pretty cool achievement.
Prior to this, our total water recovery as a whole was between 93 and 94%. We have now demonstrated that we can achieve 98% water recovery.
Of course, all the captured liquid is filtered in such a way as not to harm the body of the astronauts. NASA specifically notes that it understands that the idea of drinking recycled urine may make some people feel disgusted, but emphasizes that the end result is far superior to what urban water systems on Earth produce.
