His pissing abilities are out of this world.
A breakthrough technology could turn urine into drinkable water within minutes, meaning astronauts in future may no longer need to relieve themselves in nappies during spacewalks.
For decades, astronauts performing spacewalks around the International Space Station have used disposable diapers called maximum absorbency garments (MAGs) inside their spacesuits when they needed to relieve themselves.
But spacewalks can last up to eight hours, so wearing a spacesuit can be uncomfortable for astronauts, and they’ll need to replenish a limited amount of water during the mission from separate drinking bags.
To solve this problem, scientists have developed a new, incredibly lightweight system that can collect and purify about 1.69 fluid ounces of water from urine in a spacesuit in just five minutes. Live Science reported.
“Getting urine out of the body as quickly as possible should help reduce some of the health complications astronauts currently experience, such as rashes, urinary tract infections and digestive upset.” Sophia Etlin“The study’s lead author, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine, told the media.
“Second, the increased supply of water our system produces will help keep astronauts hydrated,” Etlin added.
According to Live Science, the new system is similar to the stillsuits in “Dune,” with astronauts wearing underwear made from compression material and lined with antibacterial fabric.
A moisture sensor attached to a silicone cup under the astronaut’s genitals detects urine, which activates a vacuum pump that sucks the urine into a 17.6-pound filtering device on the astronaut’s back.
Within minutes, a filter turns the urine into fresh drinking water, which is then transferred to a drinking bag in the spacesuit.
The system is still in early testing, but it could be a game changer for astronauts doing tedious tasks on the space station and eventually on NASA’s planned moon base.
“When you send new technology into space, it’s a very time-consuming process,” Etlin said.
Although the test was successful, “further human studies will be needed to optimize fit and comfort,” she added.
“So we definitely won’t be seeing astronauts without diapers next year, but who knows what the future holds.”
The team of scientists detailed their new device in a paper published July 12 in the journal Nature. The forefront of space technology.
