If history has taught us anything, it's that science fiction often gives way to scientific fact. Star Trek communicator and the rise of flip phones in the late 1990s and early 2000s, or how 2001: A Space Odyssey Orbiting space stations and reusable space planes, such as the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space shuttleAnd who can forget Jules Verne's classic, From the Earth to the moonAnd how was it anticipated that one day humans would walk on the Moon? Almost a century later, this dream would become a reality with the Apollo program.
The latest comes from Cornell University, where a team of researchers has developed a novel Urine collection and filtration system inside the suit Inspired by the costumes worn by the Fremen in the Frank Herbert film. DuneOnce integrated into the standard NASA spacesuit, the Extravehicular mobility unit (EMU): This system has the potential to provide astronauts with additional water while reducing the risk of hygiene-related medical issues. In short, stillsuit technology has the potential to enable longer duration missions on the surface of the Moon, Mars, and in orbit.
The research team was led by student researchers Sofia Etlin, Luca Bielski, and Julianna Rose, specialists in space medicine, ornithology, and plant science at Cornell University. They were joined by several colleagues from the Department of Biology and the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medicine at Cornell University. The paper describing his system appeared on July 11 in Frontiers in space technologies. According to their study, astronauts have been conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) aboard the ISS using the same spacesuits as their Apollo predecessors.
These suits include a disposable diaper, the Maximum absorption garment (MAG), which collects urine and feces during EVAs lasting up to 8 hours. According to a report by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer According to the Office of Earth Observations (OCHMO), astronauts are expected to urinate seven times a day and defecate twice a day, but the frequency varies during spacewalks. Based on the 37 EVAs conducted aboard the ISS between 2021 and 2023, NASA recorded an average spacewalk duration of 6 hours and 26 minuteswhile the longest lasted 8 hours and 56 minutes.
Exposure to waste for extended periods causes hygiene issues that can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and gastrointestinal upset. In addition, the current EMU comes with a 0.95 liter (0.25 gallon) container. Drink bag to carry in the suit (IDB). According to NASA GuidelinesThis volume is roughly 25% to 35% of what an astronaut needs to consume daily: 3.7 liters (1 gallon) for men and 2.7 liters (0.71 gallon) for women. Since missions to the lunar surface and Mars are expected to involve long-duration EVAs, neither of these systems is sufficient for NASA's Moon-to-Mars mission architecture. As Etlin told Universe Today via email:
Next-generation spacesuits, known as Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), were designed to reflect the recently updated Extravehicular Activity (EVA) hydration guideline of about 240 ml (~8 oz) per hour, effectively increasing the suit's water supply to 2 liters (0.5 gallons). But as Etlin told Universe Today via email, these designs still fall short in the hygiene department. “In the new generation of spacesuits, currently being produced by the company Axiom Space, the system that deals with urine is left as it was in the original suits from the 1970s,” he said.
To address this issue, the team developed a novel in-suit urine collection and filtration system that addresses both concerns. Not only will it ensure astronauts have a reserve supply of water that is replenished as they perform long-duration EVAs, but it also addresses the issue of health and hygiene by preventing astronauts from remaining in contact with their urine. As Etlin explained, the inspiration came from the Fremen stillsuits featured in the Frank Herbert film Dunewhich she read as a college student in 2022:
“In the novel and film adaptations, the stillsuit is a full-body suit worn by the Fremen, the people of the desert planet Arrakis. It collects all the water their body produces (mostly sweat and urine) and filters it into drinkable water, helping them survive on their water-scarce planet. As I delved deeper into space, I came across Dr. Chris Mason through his book, The next 500 years“And I decided to cold email him to pitch my stillsuit idea. We had a chance to meet a couple of months later and his first thought was, 'Why not turn this into a spacesuit for astronauts?'”
Instead of building a full-body suit to accommodate this new system, however, the team designed a module specifically focused on urine collection and filtration that can be retrofitted into existing spacesuits. Over time, a multidisciplinary team was formed that included Mason, Bielski, and Rose, and from there their stillsuit technology was born. As Elfin explained, the new system consists of two elements: the urine collection device (UCD) and the urine filtration system (UFS):
“The first part of our design would replace the diaper, or MAG, currently worn by astronauts with a garment that sucks urine away from the body when the astronaut begins to urinate. The key function of this is to prevent excessive exposure to urine, which causes some of the hygiene problems we describe in the paper. The urine then goes through a two-stage filtration system that uses forward osmosis along with reverse osmosis to produce pure water and minimize energy use, which is another major concern in spacesuits. This clean water is then carried to the beverage bag inside the suit to be consumed.”
The urine-collection garment (see above) holds a diaper-like portion for feces, something Elfin and his colleagues hope to fix in the future. The entire apparatus is intended to fit into a bag that weighs about 8 kg (17.6 lb) and measures 38 x 23 x 23 cm (15 x 9 x 9 in). This bag could be mounted on the back of the AxEMU along with the suit’s portable life support system (aka the backpack), which provides air, heating and cooling, food, and water. The team emphasizes that the slight increase in weight and bulk will be offset by the increased comfort and resource efficiency the system provides.
This system and its successors could become a regular feature of the spacesuits worn by Artemis astronauts as they explore the lunar surface. The ability to stay healthy, hydrated and comfortable for longer periods will ensure that NASA and its international and commercial partners can build the infrastructure needed to enable a “sustained program of lunar exploration and development.” Elfin said:
“Spacewalks will be longer, more frequent, and more physically demanding when we return to the Moon and in the decades ahead as we attempt to establish a more permanent presence there. After analyzing current spacesuit designs, we believe they may be insufficient to keep astronauts healthy and performing at a high level despite these increasing challenges. Increasing the water available to astronauts would make them more productive and reduce the risks of health complications during spacewalking, while the urine collection component of our system would better preserve their long-term health and morale.”
Further reading: Frontiers in space technology
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