Within the science-fiction collection Dune, the desert-dwelling Fremen of the arid planet Arrakis recycle their physique’s moisture the use of specifically designed outfits referred to as stillsuits. Impressed via such imaginings, a brand new prototype spacesuit converts astronauts’ urine into drinkable water, researchers record July 12 in Frontiers in House Era.
“I’ve been keen on the Dune collection for so long as I will consider,” says Sofia Etlin, an area drugs and coverage researcher at Cornell College. “Construction an actual lifestyles stillsuit was once at all times a little of a dream.”
Whilst suited up in area, astronauts lately relieve themselves into what’s referred to as a most absorbency garment, which is largely a multilayered diaper containing a super-absorbent polymer (SN: 3/11/11). The garment is understood to be uncomfortable, leak and reason urinary tract infections.
Present spacesuit designs additionally incorporate an in-suit consuming bag, or IDB, that carries lower than a liter of water. Astronauts can now and again opt for eight- to 12-hour spacewalks, which ceaselessly contains huge quantities of bodily exertion, Etlin says. NASA’s long term Artemis missions at the moon will more than likely see explorers spending a minimum of as a lot time or longer at the lunar floor, even though present plans have them sporting IDBs of the similar length, she says (SN: 12/1/22).
Etlin and her colleagues designed and constructed a brand new form of undergarment with a set cup that is going over an astronaut’s personal portions. Urine is routed right into a filtration machine that first gets rid of salty water from the urine after which makes use of a pump to take the salt out from that water. The filtered water is enriched with electrolytes after which despatched into the IDB.
A fictional Fremen’s stillsuit is powered via physique motion, however astronauts must elevate a 20.5-volt battery as a part of this new design. The entire machine, together with pumps, sensors and computer screen, weighs round 8 kilograms and will purify part a liter of water in 5 mins.
Sweat — which fictional stillsuits additionally gather — could be more uncomplicated to clear out than urine, Etlin says. However she and her colleagues determined to concentrate on a unmarried waste product for his or her first prototype. “One step at a time,” she says.
The group hopes to additional check its machine all over simulated moon and Mars missions right here on Earth and ultimately all over actual spacewalks.
It “could be wonderful for us,” says Julio Rezende of the Federal College of Rio Grande do Norte in Natal, Brazil, who leads Habitat Marte, a Mars analog project in Brazil. “I imagine this era would deliver numerous advantages.”
Rezende sees attainable terrestrial spin-offs, too, reminiscent of a equivalent machine which may be used for firefighters fighting woodland fires or hikers on lengthy trails.