If history has taught us anything, it's that science fiction often gives way to scientific fact. Consider the Star Trek communicator and the rise of the flip phone in the late 1990s and early 2000s, or how 2001: A Space Odyssey predicted orbiting space stations and reusable space planes – like the International Space Station (ISS) and the Space Shuttle. And who could forget Jules Verne's classic From the Earth to the Moon, in which he predicted that humans would one day walk on the moon? Almost a century later, that dream would become a reality with the Apollo program.
The latest development comes from Cornell University, where a team of researchers has developed a novel system for collecting and filtering urine in spacesuits, inspired by the suits worn by the Fremen in Frank Herbert's Dune. Once integrated into NASA's standard spacesuit – the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) – this system can provide astronauts with extra water while reducing the risk of hygiene-related medical incidents. In short, the 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, who specialize in space medicine, ornithology and plant sciences at Cornell University. They were joined by several colleagues from Cornell University's Department of Biology and Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Their paper describing their system appeared in Frontiers in Space Technologies on July 11. As they state in their study, astronauts aboard the ISS have performed extravehicular activities (EVAs) in the same spacesuits as their Apollo predecessors.
The Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). Image credit: NASA
These suits include a disposable diaper, the Maximum Absorbency Garment (MAG), which collects urine and feces during EVAs lasting up to 8 hours. According to a report from the Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO), astronauts are expected to urinate seven times 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 minutes, while the longest lasted 8 hours and 56 minutes.
Exposure to waste for long periods of time leads to hygiene problems that can develop into urinary tract infections (UTIs) and gastrointestinal distress. In addition, the current EMU comes with a 0.95 liter (0.25 gallon) In-Suit Drink Bag (IDB). According to NASA guidelines, this volume is about 25 to 35% of what an astronaut needs to consume daily—3.7 liters (1 gallon) for men and 2.7 liters (0.71 gallons) for women. Because missions to the lunar surface and Mars are expected to include long-duration EVAs, neither of these systems is adequate for NASA's Moon-Mars mission architecture. As Etlin told Universe Today via email:
The next-generation spacesuits, known as the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), were designed to meet recently updated extravehicular activity (EVA) hydration guidelines of approximately 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 when it comes to hygiene. “In the new generation of spacesuits currently being manufactured by the Axiom Space company, the system that handles urine remains as it was in the original suits from the '70s,” she said.
To solve this problem, the team developed a novel system for collecting and filtering urine in the spacesuit that solves both problems. Not only does it ensure that astronauts have a supply of water that is replenished when they perform long EVAs, it also addresses the issue of health and hygiene by preventing the astronauts from remaining in contact with their urine. As Etlin explained, the inspiration came from the Fremen stillsuits in Frank Herbert's Dune, which she read as an undergraduate in 2022:
“In the novel and the film adaptations, the still suit is a full-body suit worn by the Fremen, the people of the desert planet Arrakis. It collects all the water their bodies produce – mainly sweat and urine – and filters it into drinking water, which helps 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 decided to email him and pitch him my idea for a still suit. We had the opportunity to meet a few months later and his first thought was, 'Why don't we build a space suit for astronauts out of this?'”
The prototype of the “still suit” that could be integrated into future space suits. Image credit: Etlin, S. et al. (2024)
However, instead of building a full-body suit for this new system, the team designed a module specifically geared towards urine collection and filtration that fits into existing spacesuits. Over time, a multidisciplinary team was assembled, including 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 that astronauts currently wear with a garment that wicks urine away from the body when the astronaut begins to urinate. The main function of this is to avoid excessive contact with urine, which causes some of the hygiene problems we describe in the paper. Next, the urine goes through a two-stage filtration system that uses forward osmosis coupled with reverse osmosis to produce pure water while minimizing energy consumption, which is another major problem with space suits. This clean water is then transferred to the hydration pouch in the suit for consumption.”
The urine collection garment (see above) includes a diaper-like portion for feces, which Elfin and her colleagues hope to address in the future. The entire device is designed to fit into a bag that weighs about 8 kg and measures 38 x 23 x 23 cm. This bag could be attached to the back of the AxEMU, along with the suit's portable life support system (also called a backpack), which provides air, heat and cooling, food and water. The team emphasizes that the slight increase in weight and volume is offset by the system's increased comfort and resource efficiency.
This system and its successors could become a permanent part of the spacesuits worn by Artemis astronauts as they explore the lunar surface. The ability to stay healthy, hydrated and comfortable for extended periods of time will ensure that NASA and its international and commercial partners can build the necessary infrastructure to enable a “sustainable lunar exploration and development program.” Elfin said:
Artist's impression of the new spacesuit NASA and Axiom are designing for Artemis astronauts. It's called xEMU, or Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit. Image credit: NASA
“Spacewalks will become longer, more frequent, and more physically demanding as we return to the Moon and attempt to establish a more permanent presence there in the decades that follow. After looking at current spacesuit designs, we believe they may not be sufficient to keep astronauts healthy and capable during these increasing challenges. The increased amount of water available to astronauts would make them more productive and reduce the risk of health complications during the spacewalk itself, while the urine collection component of our system would better protect their health and morale in the long term.”
Further reading: Frontiers in Space Technology
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