Astronauts yesterday, drank for the first time recycled water (read urine and sweat) at the International Space Station. The Water Recovery System was delivered in November 2008 by STS-126, and on Wednesday NASA gave the astronauts a “go” to start using the waste water recovery system. The water is recovered from urine, sweat and waster vapours in exhaled air.
Image Courtesy NASA TV
The astronauts in their videocast, congratulated the engineers on Earth and banged their drinking bags in a toast saying “cheers” as they sipped the recycled water for the first time. Subtle bathroom humor kicked in as one astronaut showed a tag that read “Drink from this only if real water is over 200 miles away”.
The water purification system was developed at the Water and Microbiology Laboratories at the Johnson Space Center. It has contaminant levels far below safe drinking water limits and it has been tested earlier in the wake of the deadly Tsunami that struck in December 2004. The system can deliver six gallons of purified water in six hours, if there are six astronauts on board the ISS. Water purification and delivery systems are crucial to permanent or long term human settlements on the Moon and Mars.
It surely is one small sip for man, one giant gulp for mankind. (Sorry Neil Armstrong, just had to do it)
A video of the inaugral drink below. Real action is around the 1:30 minute mark.
