Forward-looking: Dune’s iconic stillsuits have served because the inspiration for a brand new prototype spacesuit that may convert astronauts’ urine into drinkable water. Such a tool can be an enormous enchancment over the present means that astronauts relieve themselves: into what are basically multilayered grownup diapers.
In the unique Dune guide, full-body stillsuits consisted of layers that absorbed physique moisture from sweating and urination. This was then filtered so customers may drink the reclaimed water from a tube connected to the neck. A facial masks may be worn in order that moisture from the mouth and face could possibly be reclaimed.
Cornell University researchers believed that the urine filtration/consuming system utilized by the stillsuits can be of monumental profit to astronauts, who presently use a most absorbency garment for answering the decision of nature. Essentially, that is an uncomfortable diaper vulnerable to leaking and inflicting urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal irritation.
“As an incoming Freshman at Cornell University in the spring of 2022, I sat down one night to read Dune. The next morning, after eight hours of continuous reading, I was obsessed, particularly with the idea of a stillsuit,” Sofia Etlin, a analysis workers member at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, and the research’s first creator, informed Interesting Engineering.
Etlin stated a Cornell-based start-up referred to as Fremen Space, Inc. was based a number of months later to show the concept into a actuality.
“The design includes a vacuum-based external catheter leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit, providing a continuous supply of potable water with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure astronaut well-being,” Etlin defined.
The present means astronauts soak up fluids whereas on spacewalks is by way of an in-suit consuming bag (IDB), but it surely carries lower than a liter of water, which is not very a lot when you think about these walks can final 10 hours, and even 24 hours in emergencies, and sometimes require quite a lot of strenuous exertion.
The design’s urine assortment machine is an undergarment (under) made from versatile cloth with a gender-specific, molded silicon assortment cup (above) that matches across the astronaut’s genitals. A moisture-activated vacuum pump prompts as quickly because the wearer begins to urinate. Collected urine is routed into a filtration system that first removes salty water earlier than utilizing a pump to take the salt out from that water. The filtered water is then enriched with electrolytes and despatched into the IDB.
Unlike Dune’s stillsuits, that are powered by motion, the astronauts should carry a 20.5-volt battery wanted to energy the system’s pumps, sensors, show display, and different elements. The complete unit weighs about 8 kilograms (17.6 kilos) and is ready to purify half a liter of water in 5 minutes.
The first prototype of the go well with is designed to filter urine solely, however sweat filtration could possibly be included into future iterations.
The Cornell staff is planning to recruit 100 volunteers in New York this fall to check the system for consolation and performance.
In May, a YouTube channel recreated the stillsuit, although it solely filtered sweat.
