Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have managed to recycle 98 per cent of their urine and sweat into drinking water, Nasa has announced – a major boost for global space aspirations.
The news is being heralded as a significant step forward in plans to launch long-term missions to the Moon and beyond.
While the idea might make some uneasy, Nasa says the drinking water produced is cleaner than that found back on Earth.
The unique recycling efforts are crucial to help scientists develop life support systems that can use existing resources to produce water, food and air during long-haul missions.
“For space missions that venture beyond low-Earth orbit, new challenges include how to provide basic needs for crew members without resupply missions from the ground,” Nasa said in a statement.
“Nasa is developing life support systems that can regenerate or recycle consumables such as food, air and water, and is testing them on the International Space Station.”
The Environmental Control and Life Support System, the recycling technology on board the station, was recently able to recover 98 per cent of wastewater, beating a previous record of between 93 to 94 per cent.
“Ideally, life support systems need to recover close to 98 per cent of the water that crews bring along at the start of a long journey,” the Nasa statement added.
An important step forward
The ECLSS technology is a combination of hardware that includes a water recovery system, which collects wastewater and sends it to the water processor assembly to produce drinkable liquid.
“The processing is fundamentally similar to some terrestrial water distribution systems, just done in microgravity,” said Jill Williamson, the ECLSS water subsystems manager.
“The crew is not drinking urine – they are drinking water that has been reclaimed, filtered and cleaned such that it is cleaner than what we drink here on Earth.
“We have a lot of processes in place and a lot of ground testing to provide confidence that we are producing clean, potable water.”
To store astronauts' breath and sweat, the hardware uses advances dehumidifiers to capture moisture released into the cabin.
The urine processor assembly unit recovers water using vacuum distillation, and a brine – or extremely salty water – processor was recently added to increase the water recovery rate.
“This is a very important step forward in the evolution of life support systems,” said Christopher Brown, part of the team at Johnson Space Centre that manages the space station’s life support system.
“Let’s say you collect 100 pounds [45.3kg] of water on the station. You lose two pounds [0.9kg] of that and the other 98 per cent just keeps going around and around.
“Keeping that running is a pretty awesome achievement.”
All the collected water is treated by the water processing assembly technology, which first uses a series of specialised filters and then a catalytic reactor to break down any trace contaminants that remain, Nasa said.
Sensors check the water purity and unacceptable water is reprocessed.
The system also adds iodine to the acceptable water to prevent microbial growth and stores it for the crew to use.
Nasa said that each crew member needs about 3.7 litres of water per day for consumption, food preparation and hygiene, such as brushing teeth.
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So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
Specs%20
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The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
Match statistics
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 36 Bahrain 32
Harlequins
Tries: Penalty 2, Stevenson, Teasdale, Semple
Cons: Stevenson 2
Pens: Stevenson
Bahrain
Tries: Wallace 2, Heath, Evans, Behan
Cons: Radley 2
Pen: Radley
Man of the match: Craig Nutt (Harlequins)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
MATCH INFO
Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
AIR
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How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
