Spacewalking astronauts could drink own urine instead of using diapers thanks to new tech
The piss-abilities are out of this world.
Astronauts may one day not have to relieve themselves in diapers while on spacewalks thanks to groundbreaking technology that will convert their urine into drinkable water within minutes.
For decades, astronauts on spacewalks around the International Space Station have used a disposable diaper inside their spacesuit — known as a maximum absorbency garment (MAG) — when going number one.
But as spacewalks can last up to eight hours, the suit can leave the astronauts uncomfortable. They also must rely on a limited supply of water from a separate drinking bag for the duration of the mission.
To fix this, scientists have developed an un-pee-lievable new lightweight system that can collect and purify roughly 1.69 fluid ounces of water from urine within a person’s spacesuit and in just five minutes, Live Science reported.
“Getting urine away from the body as quickly as possible should reduce some of the health complications that astronauts are currently experiencing like rashes, urinary tract infections, and digestive distress,” Sofia Etlin, the lead study author and a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine, told the outlet.
“Second, the greater overall supply of water that our system generates will keep the astronauts hydrated,” Etlin added.
With the new system, something like the stillsuits from “Dune,” astronauts would wear an undergarment made from compression material and lined with antimicrobial fabric, according to Live Science.
A humidity sensor sitting in a silicone cup beneath the astronaut’s privates will sense the urine, sparking a vacuum pump that draws the urine into a 17.6-pound filtration device on their back.
Within minutes, the filter transforms the urine into fresh, potable water that’s transferred to the spacesuit’s drinking bag.
The system is still in its early testing stages, but could be a major change for relieved astronauts doing tedious work on the space station and, eventually, at NASA’s planned lunar station.
“When it comes to sending new technology to space, the process is quite time intensive,” Etlin said.
While the tests have been successful, “further study with humans will be required to maximize fit and comfort,” she added.
“So we’ll definitely not see astronauts diaper-free next year, but you can never tell what the future holds.”
The team of scientists detailed their new device in a paper published July 12 in the journal Frontiers in Space Technology.
