Ew!
NASA has been busy preparing to double the number of astronauts living aboard the International Space Station, nothing may do more for crew bonding than a machine that was launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in November.
It’s a water-recycling device that will process the crew’s urine for communal consumption.
Again … EWwwww!
“We did blind taste tests of the water,” said NASA’s Bob Bagdigian, the system’s lead engineer. “Nobody had any strong objections. Other than a faint taste of iodine, it is just as refreshing as any other kind of water.”
“I’ve got some in my fridge,” he added. “It tastes fine to me.”
The new wasterwater recycling gear is said to cost about $250 million wastewater.
NASA wants to make sure the water recycling system is working well before adding another three astronauts to the station’s crew.
Reusing water will become essential once NASA retires its space shuttles, which produce water as a byproduct of their electrical systems. Rather than dumping the water overboard, NASA has been transferring it to the space station.
NASA expects to process about six gallons (23 liters) of water per day with the new device. The goal is to recover about 92 percent of the water from the crew’s urine and moisture in the air.
The wastewater is processed using an extensive series of purification techniques, including distillation — which is somewhat tricky in microgravity — filtration, oxidation, and ionization.
The final step is the addition of iodine to control microbial growth, Bagdigian said.
The device is intended to process a full day’s worth of wastewater in less than 24 hours.
“Today’s drinking water was yesterday’s waste,” Bagdigian said.
Seriously, that’s the sickest thing i’ve heard in a LONG time! Although, it actually makes really good sense when you think about it. Who’d want to be an astronaut…
Nick
lol, this is horrible. i definately dont want to stuck in a shuttle with only this recycled water. they couldnt pay me enough. ewwww
That is quite disgusting… I’m not entirely convinced there is no taste but I’m in no hurry to test it out either!
ewwwwww. I dont think I could deal with thisss. I dont care how much they purifuy it, you still know where its come from when you drink it. ew. just. ew.
I think this is a fab idea! Talk about recycling and utilizing what we already have. Hmmmm i know what you guys mean about knowing where it comes from. Isn’t drinking your own urine good for you?
Seriously? This water-recycling device will process the urine. Where did they performed the blind taste tests of the water anyway..