On the International Space Station, resources are precious. That includes every single drop of water—which is why astronauts drink their own filtered and recycled pee. That might sound a little undignified, but things get worse when astronauts go out for a space walk. If nature comes calling, their only option is a super-strength diaper.
Inspired by the stillsuits that recycle water in Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ series, researchers have come up with a way to keep astronauts clean, dry, and hydrated while they’re hard at work. They’ve designed a system that turns astronauts’ pee into nice, clean drinking water while they’re suited up.
The researchers reported on their prototype in the journal Frontiers in Space Technology. Guest host Rachel Feltman talks with Sofia Etlin, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine, about the inspiration behind the stillsuit and how it works.
Further Reading
- Check out the new space suits for the Artemis 2 lunar mission via Space.com.
- Read more coverage of the new “stillsuit” prototype via Ars Tecnica.
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Segment Guests
Sofia Etlin
Sofia Etlin is a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Rasha Aridi
@RashaAridiRasha Aridi is a producer for Science Friday. She loves stories about weird critters, science adventures, and the intersection of science and history.
About Rachel Feltman
Rachel Feltman is author of Been There, Done That: A Rousing History of Sex, and is the host of “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week.”