A Dune-Inspired Astronaut Suit Converts Urine into Drinkable Water
Drawing inspiration from the desert-dwelling Fremen in the science fiction series Dune, who recycle their body’s moisture with special suits called stillsuits, researchers have developed a prototype spacesuit that converts astronaut urine into drinkable water, as reported in Frontiers in Space Technology on July 12.
“I’ve been a fan of the Dune series for as long as I can remember,” says Sofia Etlin, a researcher in space medicine and policy at Cornell University. “Creating a real-life stillsuit has always been somewhat of a dream.”
While in space, astronauts currently use a maximum absorbency garment, similar to a multilayered diaper with a super-absorbent polymer, for bodily waste disposal. This garment is known for discomfort, leakage, and the risk of urinary tract infections.
Insufficient Water Supply for Extended Artemis Missions
Existing spacesuit designs also include an in-suit drinking bag (IDB) holding less than a liter of water.
According to Sofia Etlin, a researcher at Cornell University specializing in space medicine and policy, astronauts often endure eight- to 12-hour spacewalks involving significant physical exertion. Future NASA Artemis missions to the moon are anticipated to lengthen mission durations, despite current plans maintaining IDBs with unchanged capacities.
Etlin and her team developed a new undergarment featuring a collection cup over astronauts’ private areas.
Urine is guided into a filtration system that first separates saline water, followed by active pumping to eliminate salts. The resulting purified water, enhanced with electrolytes, is subsequently transferred to the IDB.
Innovative Astronaut Life Support System
While fictional stillsuits in Dune harness body movement for power, astronauts using this new design require a 20.5-volt battery. The complete system, inclusive of pumps, sensors, and a display screen, weighs approximately 8 kilograms and can purify half a liter of water in five minutes.
Etlin notes that sweat, another waste managed by fictional stillsuits, is easier to filter than urine. However, the team prioritized urine for their initial prototype. “One step at a time,” she explains.
The team aims to further test their system during simulated moon and Mars missions on Earth, with the ultimate goal of deploying it during actual spacewalks.
Julio Rezende from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil, leader of the Mars analog mission Habitat Marte, believes this technology holds potential benefits beyond space missions, such as for firefighters battling wildfires or hikers on long trails.
Read the original article on: ScienceNews
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