Ever drank your own pee? Don’t. There are toxic substances in the liquid. (Don’t say you weren’t warned.) But there are extreme instances when recycling pee proves very practical. When the Atlantis shuttle embarks on its final mission on Friday, the astronauts involved will have a new gadget with them up in orbit. It’s a compact conversion kit that removes the impurities in urine to produce drinkable water.
The technology itself isn’t groundbreaking and the ISS has a similar machine onboard. The innovation here is it’s been shrunk to a convenient size without sacrificing its utility. Though it’s a bit far from the stillsuit found in the Dune novels, itself an object in the Dune mythology that’s somewhat influenced this particular pee pee bag, the process of converting human urine or dirty fluids to drinkable water is quite simple.
The Science Behind Urine Recycling
The trick is to have two small containers, one of which has a sugary-solution to filter the impurities that are channeled to it. Given time, the resulting fluid becomes 100% safe to drink. This process is known as forward osmosis, where water naturally moves through a semi-permeable membrane from a lower concentration solution to a higher concentration one, leaving contaminants behind. This method is not only effective but also energy-efficient, making it ideal for space missions where resources are limited.
NASA has been pioneering water recycling technologies for decades. The Water Recovery System (WRS) on the ISS can reclaim up to 93% of the water from urine, sweat, and other sources. This is crucial for long-duration missions where resupplying water from Earth is not feasible. The new compact conversion kit on Atlantis represents a significant advancement in making these systems more portable and user-friendly.
Practical Applications on Earth
While the primary use of this technology is for space missions, it has potential applications on Earth as well. In areas where clean water is scarce, such as remote communities or disaster-stricken regions, portable water purification systems could provide a vital source of safe drinking water. For example, during natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, access to clean water can be severely compromised. A compact, efficient water purification system could be a lifesaver in such situations.
Moreover, this technology could be beneficial for military operations in arid environments, where carrying large quantities of water is impractical. By recycling urine and other waste fluids, soldiers could have a continuous supply of drinking water, reducing the need for resupply missions and increasing their operational efficiency.
Want a sip?
On a smelly closing note, is anyone thinking of those Japanese poop burgers featured here at Geeky Gadgets a while ago? Together with this pee pee bag, both would make for an orbital value meal. Incredibly gross man, incredibly gross.
While the idea of drinking recycled urine might be off-putting to many, it’s important to recognize the scientific ingenuity and practical benefits behind such technologies. As humanity continues to explore space and face environmental challenges on Earth, innovative solutions like these will become increasingly important.
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