The piss-abilities are out of this world.
Astronauts may in the future not must relieve themselves in diapers while on spacewalks because of groundbreaking technology that can convert their urine into drinkable water inside minutes.
For a long time, astronauts on spacewalks across the International Space Station have used a disposable diaper inside their spacesuit — often called a maximum absorbency garment (MAG) — when going primary.
But as spacewalks can last as long as eight hours, the suit can leave the astronauts uncomfortable. Additionally they must depend on a limited supply of water from a separate drinking bag during the mission.
To repair this, scientists have developed an un-pee-lievable latest lightweight system that may collect and purify roughly 1.69 fluid ounces of water from urine inside an individual’s spacesuit and in only five minutes, Live Science reported.
“Getting urine away from the body as quickly as possible should reduce among the health complications that astronauts are currently experiencing like rashes, urinary tract infections, and digestive distress,” Sofia Etlin, the lead study creator and a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine, told the outlet.
“Second, the greater overall supply of water that our system generates will keep the astronauts hydrated,” Etlin added.
With the brand new system, something just like the stillsuits from “Dune,” astronauts would wear an undergarment created from compression material and lined with antimicrobial fabric, in accordance with Live Science.
A humidity sensor sitting in a silicone cup beneath the astronaut’s privates will sense the urine, sparking a vacuum pump that pulls the urine right into a 17.6-pound filtration device on their back.
Inside minutes, the filter transforms the urine into fresh, potable water that’s transferred to the spacesuit’s drinking bag.
The system remains to be in its early testing stages, but may very well be a significant change for relieved astronauts doing tedious work on the space station and, eventually, at NASA’s planned lunar station.
“In relation to sending latest technology to space, the method is sort of time intensive,” Etlin said.
While the tests have been successful, “further study with humans can be required to maximise fit and luxury,” she added.
“So we’ll definitely not see astronauts diaper-free next yr, but you’ll be able to never tell what the longer term holds.”
The team of scientists detailed their latest device in a paper published July 12 within the journal Frontiers in Space Technology.
