TECHNOLOGY

Water recycling, big achievement for NASA: 98% of ISS liquids recovered

We may be at a turning point as far as human space exploration is concerned. In fact, NASA has announced its achievements in water recovery and recycling on the International Space Station (ISS), where 98% of the total liquids brought on board by astronauts have been recovered.

This is all thanks to the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) which, among others, of course, also recycles urine. In laboratory tests, the water recovered from the urine turns out to be cleaner than that from the city's municipal water supply.

Jill Williamson, ECLSS water subsystems manager said: 'The less water and oxygen we have to transport, the more science can be added to the launch vehicle.

Di NASA - http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-134/html/s134e010137.html, Pubb
98 percent of the water in the International Space Station is recycled
We may be at a turning point as far as human space exploration is concerned. In fact, NASA has announced its achievements in water recovery and recycling on the International Space Station (ISS), where 98% of the total liquids brought on board by astronauts have been recovered.
Di NASA - http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-116/html/s116e05983.htmlhttp://antw
THE ECLSS
All this thanks to the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), which, among others, of course, also recycles urine. In laboratory tests, the water recovered from urine turns out to be cleaner than that from the city's municipal pipelines.
NASA
How water recovery takes place
The ECLSS is able to capture the moisture produced by the astronauts' breathing and their sweat during daily activities with advanced dehumidifiers. Thanks also to the system capable of recovering urine, the vacuum distillation process takes place. As a result, water is produced together with a salt solution, from which further H2O particles can be recovered. This is possible thanks to a new device that allows the extraction of water even from the saline solution, with the recovery rate thus reaching 98%.
Di Original: NASAThis vector version by Mysid - Self-made in Inkscape; based on Image:InternationalS
The words of Christopher Brown from NASA
"Imagine carrying 100 litres of water on board the ISS, knowing that 98 litres will continue to circulate and be used and only 2 litres will be lost. That is an outstanding achievement. The filtration process is similar to what we use on earth, the crew is not drinking urine; they are drinking water that has been recycled, filtered and cleaned in a way that makes it cleaner than what they drink on earth." This is Brown's comment, showing how this is an incredible achievement, the result of decades of work and one that will have repercussions not only in the lives of astronauts, but also in the lives of ordinary people.
Di NASA - http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-001071.html, Pubblico dominio, https://commons.
Jill Williamson's words.
Jill Williamson, ECLSS water subsystems manager, said: "The less water and oxygen we have to transport, the more science can be added to the launch vehicle.
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