A NEW spacesuit upgrade has been proposed that turns urine into drinking water, meaning astronauts won’t be forced to pee on themselves during spacewalks.
The researchers behind the new kit say it’s a real-life ‘stillsuit’, the futuristic spacesuit from the sci-fi Dune franchise.
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With today’s spacesuits, astronauts have to relieve themselves inside their spacesuits when performing spacewalks.
Spacewalks occur when astronauts leave the International Space Station (ISS) to carry out repairs, which can sometimes take hours to complete.
The record for the longest spacewalk is held by James Voss and Susan Helms for a nearly nine-hour spacewalk in 2001.
Unlike wastewater aboard the ISS, the water contained in urine from spacewalks is not recycled.
Astronauts have complained about peeing protocol on spacewalks for decades, saying it is uncomfortable and unhygienic.
Since the late 1970s, NASA’s traditional spacesuits have used so-called maximum absorption clothing (MAG) for waste management.
It’s essentially an adult diaper made from a super-absorbent polymer – and has caused infections in astronauts in the past.
“The MAG reportedly leaked and caused health problems such as urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal problems,” explained Sofia Etlin, research team member from Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, and first author of the study.
“Additionally, astronauts currently only have one liter of water available in their suit drink bags.
“This is insufficient for the planned, longer-lasting lunar spacewalks, which could last ten hours and up to 24 hours in an emergency.”
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Extended off-planet missions
As NASA prepares for extended off-planet missions to the Moon and Mars over the next decade, the agency will require a new generation of spacesuits that allow astronauts to explore longer.
One solution, proposed by researchers at Cornell University and published in Frontiers in Space Technology, would be to mimic the full-body ‘stillsuits’ shown in Dune.
Our system can be tested in simulated microgravity conditions, as microgravity is the main spatial factor that we must take into account.
Dr. Christopher Mason, Weill Cornell Medicine Professor
These spacesuits absorb and purify water from sweat and urine to recycle it into drinking water, allowing characters to roam the desert world of Arrakis – which some might compare to Martian terrain.
To achieve this, the researchers designed a molded silicone urine collection cup that attaches to the astronaut’s groin.
The urine captured by the cup is drained by a vacuum pump that takes it to be purified in a backpack.
According to the team, collecting and purifying 500ml of urine would take just five minutes.
“The design includes a vacuum-based external catheter that leads to a combined direct reverse osmosis unit, providing a continuous supply of drinking water with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure the well-being of astronauts,” Etlin added.
The astronauts also requested that a separate supply of caffeine-free energy drink be added to the suits – although this may be accommodated in the future.
Now that the prototype is available, Dr. Christopher Mason, a professor at Weill Cornell Medicine and lead author of the study, said the new design can be tested in simulated conditions and, eventually, during real spacewalks.
“Our system can be tested in simulated microgravity conditions, as microgravity is the main spatial factor we must take into account,” he said.
“These tests will ensure the functionality and safety of the system before it is deployed on real space missions.”
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What is the ISS?
Here’s what you need to know about the International Space Station…
- The International Space Station, often shortened to ISS, is a large spacecraft that orbits Earth and houses astronauts who go there to complete scientific missions.
- Many countries worked together to build it and work together to use it
- It is made up of many parts, which astronauts had to send individually in rockets and assemble from 1998 to 2000
- Since the year 2000, people have lived on the ISS
- NASA uses the station to learn how to live and work in space
- It is approximately 250 miles above Earth and orbits around the planet like a satellite
- It is said that living inside the ISS is like living inside a big house with five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a gym, lots of science labs and a big bay window to see Earth.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
