NASA Recovers 90% Water from Urine

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NASA Recovers 90% Water from Urine

NASA revamps its urine-to-water recovery system and reaches 'major milestone' in urine tech.  NASA_logo.svg.png

NASA's technology could only recover 75% of water from urine and now it can recover 90%.

Engineers at the Johnson Space Center came up with a solution, a new chemical called "Alternative Urine Pretreatment," or AUP. When the toilet is flushed at the space station, a few droplets of AUP are added, minimizing buildup inside the plumbing and increasing the urine-to-water recovery rate.

"The goal is not to take large amounts of water with us to space, but to be able to take the water cycle itself to space," said Dean Muirhead, an engineer with Barrios Technology, in a prepared statement. 

"Where other people see urine, I see a vital resource that is going to help astronauts survive," Muirhead said. "To accomplish long-duration spaceflight, we need to develop these technologies that allow us to live independently of Earth." 

But this technology isn't only for space exploration, it will have practical benefits on Earth too.

"Cities and countries on Earth are struggling for clean water, so anytime we can understand how to conserve and reuse water, it is not only helping space exploration, but we are benefiting all of humanity," Muirhead said. 

Source: Chron

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