Published on July 21, 2024 at 17:04 GMT+1
Space creation is currently in testing phase
Tech geeks think they’ve come up with a way to make life under the stars a lot more comfortable for astronauts: they’ll drink their own urine.
Yes, you read that right and it’s not as terrible as you think.
Now, new technology is being developed that could allow astronauts to drink their own urine during spacewalks.
NASA astronaut Ronald Galland attaches to the robotic arm on the International Space Station during a scheduled six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk in 2011. (NASA via Getty Images)
Currently, when they are performing repair work or other tasks outside the International Space Station (ISS), they are required to wear diapers so that when they need to pee, they can do so without squirting all over their spacesuits.
But wearing diapers isn’t very futuristic, is it? Hell, they’re literally out of this world, but they’re wearing what babies wear today.
These disposable diapers have an extraordinarily cosmic name: Maximum Absorbency Garments (MAGs), and were developed in the early 1980s.
These work exactly the same as diapers, the only difference is that if your baby is left without a diaper change for up to eight hours, it is considered neglect, unless of course that time is bedtime.
NASA astronauts Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew work on the ISS during a six-hour, 34-minute spacewalk in 2011. (NASA via Getty Images)
Well, that’s how much time some astronauts spend on spacewalks outside the ISS, but they’ll no doubt be prepping their bladders beforehand so they don’t have to “relieve” right away.
Just like a baby’s diapers, not changing the MAG can irritate the skin and lead to infection, as well as discomfort.
Additionally, while floating outside the space station, the drink bags in the spacesuits can only hold a maximum of 0.2 gallons of water.
Well, let’s leave it to the scientists to find the solution.
NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman wears the New York Yankees logo on his forearm during a seven-hour, 25-minute spacewalk in 2010. (NASA via Getty Images)
Astronauts will wear underwear made from a flexible, compressible material, lined with antibacterial fabric and fitted with moisture sensors to detect if they are urinating excessively.
When urine is detected, the vacuum is activated and sucks the urine into a filtering device on the astronaut’s back.
Plus, it only takes five minutes for you to have fresh water to drink.
But it’s still in the testing phase, and if it passes the final stages it could attract interest from other space agencies, such as NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
However, it is unlikely to be ready before 2026.
Featured image credit: Getty/ESA/Getty/MPI
Topics: Space, Science, Technology, Health, Environment
