Scientists have designed a spacesuit that can recycle urine into drinking water to help astronauts execute lengthy spacewalks. The prototype has been inspired by full body “stillsuits”, seen in the science-fiction series Dune, which absorbed body’s moisture through sweating and urination, and purified it to turn it into drinking water. The water could be consumed through a tube attached to an individual’s neck, enabling them to survive in the open desert for weeks. “I have been a fan of the Dune series for as long as I can remember,” Sofia Etlin, a space medicine and policy researcher at Cornell University and co-designer of the new spacesuit, told Science News. “Building a real life stillsuit was always a bit of a dream.” The spacesuit’s design was published by the journal Frontiers in Space Technology on Friday (July 12). The designers of the suit hope that they can deploy it before 2030 for NASA’s Artemis programme, which is focused on learning how to live and work for an extended period on another world. Here is a look at the spacesuit, and how it works. But first, what are the limitations of current spacesuits? The current spacesuits comprise bags which can handle only up to one litre of water. This limits astronauts from going on longer-lasting lunar spacewalks, which can last 10 hours, and even up to 24 hours in an emergency, Etlin told The Guardian. Astronauts also have issues with the maximum absorbency garment (MAG) — a waste management system which has been in use in spacesuits since the 1970s. There have been complaints about a lack of comfort and hygiene. Some have complained about contracting urinary tract infections (UTIs) because of MAG, which is essentially an adult diaper. How does the new spacesuit work? The prototype comprises a collection cup (with a different shape and size for women and men) of moulded silicone, to fit around the genitalia. To ensure that there is no leak, the cup is contained within an undergarment made of multiple layers of flexible fabric. The cup is linked to a vacuum pump that automatically switches on as soon as the astronaut begins to urinate. “Once collected, the urine is diverted to the filtration system where it gets recycled into water with an efficiency of 87%,” according to The Guardian report. The filtration of urine is a two step process. First, water is removed from the urine through a reverse osmosis — a process that uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate water molecules from other substances — system. Then, salt is removed from this water by using a pump. Before the purified water is pumped into the in-suit drink bag for consumption, it is enriched in electrolytes as well. The whole process of collecting and purifying 500 ml of urine takes only five minutes, according to the creators of the new spacesuit. The system weighs around 8 kg, and measures 38cm by 23cm by 23cm, which experts suggest is compact and light to carry on the back of a spacesuit.
