Side view of the entire system, worn as a backpack
Ever run out of diapers during a spacewalk? Astronauts using diapers while wearing spacesuits is a dirty secret in space exploration, but a new design promises not only a more hygienic approach to spacewalks, but one that recycles precious water.
According to NASA, astronauts use a Urine Processor Assembly to extract water from urine using vacuum distillation while on the International Space Station. Water is such a precious resource that life support systems aim to extract nearly 98 percent of the water that crews take with them.
Life support
That’s not the case outside the spacecraft, where spacewalks—which can last hours—are conducted while astronauts wear a “maximum absorbency garment.” These MAGs, which have been in use since the 1970s, use multiple layers of superabsorbent polymer. In short, they’re diapers—and nothing that goes into them gets recycled.
Cue a new design for full-body “stillsuits” inspired by the Dune films. The films feature spacesuits that absorb water lost through sweat and urination and purify it for drinking.
Water extraction
Revealed by researchers at Cornell University in a paper published this week in Frontiers in space technologiesPrototypes of the “stillsuit” use a unique spacesuit urine collection and filtration system.
“The MAG has reportedly leaked and caused health problems, including urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal upset,” said Sofia Etlin, a research associate at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University and the study’s first author. “Additionally, astronauts currently only have one liter of water available in their hydration bladders in the suit.”
For multi-hour spacewalks, that’s not much. And it’s even less when you consider NASA’s plans for longer lunar spacewalks as part of its ambitious Artemis missions to the moon. Astronauts would need to be able to do a 24-hour spacewalk in an emergency, Etlin said. At least four Artemis missions include plans for multi-astronaut lunar spacewalks.
Rear view of the entire system, worn as a backpack
Taking a pee
The “stillsuit” contains a polyester microfiber-covered urine collection device. It consists of an undergarment made of multiple layers of flexible fabric connected to a molded silicone collection cup. Male and female astronauts would use a different shape and size. A pump is activated when moisture is detected by an RFID tag linked to an absorbent hydrogel. Designed for microgravity, it takes just five minutes to collect and purify 500 ml of urine, with researchers claiming it is 86 percent efficient.
“The design includes a vacuum-based external catheter leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit, which provides a continuous supply of potable water with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure the astronauts’ well-being,” Etlin said. There are also plans to offer astronauts a separate supply of caffeine-free energy drinks.
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