Curable new technology could allow astronauts to drink their own urine on spacewalks instead of using diapers

Pissing skills are out of this world.

Astronauts may one day not have to settle for diapers during spacewalks, thanks to innovative technology that will turn their urine into drinkable water in 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 they go number one.

But since spacewalks can last up to eight hours, the suit can make astronauts uncomfortable. They must also rely on a limited supply of water from a special drink bag for the duration of the mission.

To fix this, scientists have developed a new lightweight system that can collect and clean approximately 1.69 ounces of water from urine inside a person’s spacesuit in just five minutes, Live Science reported.

“Getting urine out of the body as quickly as possible should reduce some of the health complications that astronauts are currently experiencing, such as acne, urinary tract infections and digestive upsets,” Sofia Etlin, lead author of the study and a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine. told the newspaper.

“Second, the larger overall supply of water that our system generates will keep astronauts hydrated,” Etlin added.

According to Live Science, with the new system, something like the stationary suits from “Dune,” astronauts would wear an undergarment made of compression material and lined with antimicrobial fabric.

A moisture sensor sitting in a silicone cup below the astronaut’s needles will sense the urine, triggering a vacuum pump that draws the urine into a 17.6-kilogram filtration device on their back.

Within minutes, the filter transforms the urine into fresh, drinkable water, which is transferred to the suit’s drinking pouch.

The system is still in the early stages of testing, but it could be a big difference for relieved astronauts doing grueling work on the space station and, eventually, on NASA’s planned lunar station.

“When it comes to sending new technology into 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 definitely won’t be seeing astronauts without diapers next year, but you never know what the future will bring.”
The team of scientists detailed their new device in an article published July 12 in the journal Frontiers in Space Technology.