There are some things you just take for granted that people know and therefor are not of any real interest. However I was discussing a recent IO9 article about the new waste water recovery plant that NASA just delivered to the ISS and was really bemused as to how many people did not know that recycled water is a common thing on long duration space flights. Now having to consider that astronauts will be drinking reclamated urine put folks completely off their feed. Now for me, I was under the impression this was already taking place! But it seems here to fore, NASA has only been reclaiming water vapor available in the air. "Waste" water was held for disposal and new supplies were brought up on a regular basis. However with the addition of extra crew memebers, this mode was becoming economically infeasible. So, Last week, Space Shuttle Endeavor carried aloft a Michigan Technological University designed Water Recovery System. This system, consisting of various filtration beds, ionization and various other reactives, makes the water purer than just about anything on Earth. But just the thought of the origin puts many people off, even considering that most of the drinking water available today had fish peeing in it not so long ago itself. But leave it to IO9 to spin everything with a bit of humor. The author when considering childhood dreams of space flight wrote: Those childhood dreams of traveling to space probably didn't include drinking your own sweat and pee.
Oh well, another childhood dream bites the big one...lol and of course even their title took jabs....
The Official NASA Guide To Drinking Your Own Urine
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