Spacewalks from the International Space Station (ISS) are challenging even without the astronauts having to deal with their bodily needs. Scientists are therefore working on a new solution for capturing astronauts’ urine and recycling it into drinking water. The Live Science portal reported on the new study.
Photo: NASA
Astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough during the ascent outside the International Space Station. June 16, 2021
Since the 1980s, NASA has used a disposable diaper known as a “Maximum Absorbency Garment” (MAG) to capture and store urine during space missions. However, ascents to space can last up to eight hours, so MAG can cause not only discomfort, but also skin irritation or various infections. MAG also makes it impossible to recycle urine into water, so astronauts have to carry around a liter bag for drinking.
On July 16, 1969, the three-member crew of the Apollo 11 mission took off from the American Cape Canaveral aboard a Saturn V rocket. It took 102 hours, 45 minutes and 42 seconds for the lunar module Eagle to land on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969.
The solution could be a device the researchers described in a study published July 12 in the scientific journal Frontiers in Space Technology. It is a lightweight urine collection and filtration system capable of filtering approximately half a liter of fluid in five minutes. It includes underwear made of flexible compression material lined with antibacterial material. Urine is captured by a silicone cup under the wearer’s genitals equipped with a moisture sensor. After detecting urine, the sensor sucks the liquid into a filter on the astronaut’s back, where it becomes drinking water again, which is collected in a drinking bag in the astronaut’s space suit. The filter on the back has dimensions of approximately 38 × 23 centimeters and weighs eight kilograms.
Initial testing of the device is currently underway. It will have to pass tests in conditions reminiscent of space, for example, in microgravity. However, the tests in space will only come after the successful completion of the tests on the ground. If it succeeds, it can help solve a rather pressing problem, its creators say. NASA wants to build a permanently inhabited base on the moon by the end of this decade, and this device can help it do that.
By removing urine from the body as quickly as possible, the health problems afflicting astronauts can be alleviated. In addition, the system is able to provide them with a larger supply of water, according to the main author of the study and researcher Sofia Etlinová from the medical school of Weill Cornell Medicine. However, she added that further human research will be needed to ensure maximum fit and comfort.
Sending technology into space is always a time-consuming process. Limited space and the amount of power available from batteries must be considered. However, improving the health of astronauts, increasing their performance and ensuring enough drinking water even in crisis situations can be a good compromise, the authors of the study state.
Source: vat.pravda.sk
