(CNN) — A marvel of the “Dune” sci-fi film franchise is the survival outfit worn by the desert-dwelling Fremen — “stillsuits” that recycle all bodily fluids into potable water. Now, such technology appears to be on the horizon, with scientists unveiling a prototype spacesuit system that turns urine into drinking water.
The urine collection garment prototype is designed to replace the maximum absorption garments, or adult diapers, currently worn by astronautsA marvel of the “Dune” sci-fi film franchise is the survival outfit worn by the desert-dwelling Fremen — “stillsuits” that recycle all bodily fluids into potable water. Now, such technology appears to be on the horizon, with scientists unveiling a prototype spacesuit system that turns urine into drinking water.
While the diapers can effectively absorb waste, they have been found to harm astronauts’ health and cause discomfort. Astronauts have reported diapers leaking, making them unable to distinguish between their urine and sweat, and complained of skin rashes and odor issues. Crew members face medical risks such as cross contamination with fecal matter, urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal distress, which are made worse by the reduced access astronauts have to medical care.
The system would recycle urine using forward and reverse osmosis, a model used by the current wastewater management treatment system aboard the space station, to remove contaminants from the urine and filter it to drinking water. The study authors proposed that a volume of 500 milliliters of urine could be processed in less than five minutes, with the effective recycling of more than 86.8% of it into drinking water.
While the suit’s “weight is certainly a concern for upcoming lunar missions, we believe that the increased comfort and resource efficiency provided by the system will more than make up for the slightly increased bulk,” the study authors said.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Scientists Are Working on ‘Dune’-Inspired Stillsuits That Turn Astronauts’ Urine Into Drinking WaterScientists have designed a 'Dune'-inspired stillsuit prototype for astronauts with a filtration system that can convert waste into drinkable water.
Read more »
Dune come true: Sci-fi-like spacesuit turns urine into drinking waterIn Dune's fictitious universe, the Fremen, the inhabitants of the desert planet Arrakis, wear the full-body stillsuit.
Read more »
The Morning After: Dune-inspired spacesuit recycles astronauts’ urine into drinkable waterMat Smith heads up Engadget’s daily newsletter from London, UK. He has worked at Engadget for over a decade and has covered console gaming, flagship smartphones, the Apple Watch and fitness tech that promises to make him faster or stronger. He’s currently learning how to backflip.
Read more »
Dune-Inspired Spacesuit Recycles Urine Into Clean Drinking WaterScientists have designed a Dune-inspired spacesuit that recycles urine into drinkable water, which should help prolong spacewalks.
Read more »
A Dune-inspired spacesuit turns astronaut pee into drinking waterThe spacesuit design collects urine, filters it, adds electrolytes and stores the cleaned water for the astronaut to drink.
Read more »
A Dune-inspired spacesuit turns astronaut pee into drinking waterThe spacesuit design collects urine, filters it, adds electrolytes and stores the cleaned water for the astronaut to drink.
Read more »