Scientists created spacesuit that can turn urine into water

Scientists have created a spacesuit “stillsuit” for astronauts that can turn into clean water from their urine. It is a well-established fact that astronauts on spacewalks must urinate inside their spacesuits.

This is not only filthy and uncomfortable for the wearer- but it is also wasteful because spacewalk urine is not recycled like wastewater on board the International Space Station (ISS).

However, full-body “stillsuits” may be a solution to these problems. Because they absorbed and cleaned water lost through sweating and urination and recycled into drinkable water.

*The stillsuit will convert astronauts’ urine into drinkable water*

These “stillsuits” are similar to those in the popular Dune film series. This science fiction is now about to become reality with the development of a revolutionary urine collection and filter system for spacesuits.

Scientists from Cornell University created this spacesuit. Sofia Etlin is a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University. She is also the first author of this scientific development.

According to Sofia, the design of the stillsuit includes a vacuum-based external tube leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit. It provides a continuous drinkable water supply with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure astronaut well-being.

They designed stillsuits after astronauts complained about MAG’s lack of comfort and cleanliness for decades. The maximum absorbency garment (MAG) is a waste management system for classic NASA spacesuits that has been in use since the late 1970s.

*Dune-inspired spacesuit transforms astronauts’ urine into clean water*

It works like a multilayered adult diaper composed of superabsorbent polymer. The MAG has leakage problems which leads to health problems such as gastrointestinal upset and urinary tract infections.

According to Sofia, MAG spacesuits can only hold one liter of water. This is not enough for longer spacewalks which can last up to 10 hours or sometimes 24 hours.

Moreover, astronauts have asked that future spacesuits include a separate supply of high-energy, non-caffeinated drinks and shorten the time required to fill and degas the in-suit drink bags.

Hence, taking all the above requirements of astronauts, scientists created stillsuits with multi-layered flexible fabric. It connects to a collection of cups (different sizes and shapes for men and women) of molded silicone to fit around genitalia.

A polyester microfiber or nylon-spandex blend covers the inside of the collection cup to pull urine away from the body and towards the inside cup.

When it comes in contact with water, an RFID tag connected to an absorbing hydrogel turns on the pump. Following this, a vacuum pump pulls the urine out of the cup.

*Back view of stillsuit with a whole system wearer*

Click here to read the updates on trapped NASA astronauts in space may suffer bone loss & kidney stones

Then urine is recycled in a urine filtration system with an 87% success rate. The filtration system has forward and reverse osmosis filter systems working together in two systems.

It has a concentration gradient and a pump to separate the water from salt in urine. The filtered water is pumped back into the in-suit drink bag where it can be consumed with the help of electrolytes.

However, this process can collect and purify 500 ml of urine within only five minutes. The Frontiers in Space Technology has published this research study.