Future NASA missions may have astronauts drinking recycled urine from their spacesuits, thanks to a new waste management system created by Cornell University researchers. This prototype filtration system can convert wastewater into drinkable water in just five minutes.
Inspired by “stillsuits” from the sci-fi series Dune, this technology could be implemented in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon after over 50 years.
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Currently, astronauts use uncomfortable adult diaper-like garments for waste management. The new system utilizes osmosis to filter urine and produce clean drinking water.
Sofia Etlin, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, described the design as having a vacuum-based catheter leading to an osmosis unit, ensuring a continuous supply of potable water, along with multiple safety features for astronaut wellbeing.
As astronauts currently carry only one liter of water in their in-suit drink bags—insufficient for extended lunar spacewalks—this new system aims to resolve that limitation. Researchers plan to test the design in simulated microgravity before actual missions, enhancing astronaut hygiene and mission efficiency.
