'Millions of dollars' is spent on filtering urine into drinking water

NASA has awarded a $ 5.1 million contract to a Tucson-based company to develop a purifier system for pure water for astronauts.

It is known that the International Space Station (ISS) has a water purification system consisting of two large systems with a refrigerator that recycles and filters urine into drinking water. Previously, ISS crews had to use water from Earth.

The new water filtration system that NASA has provided more than $ 5 million in operating capital is 94% efficient.

When water filters were first installed in 2008, they were capable of providing nearly three cubic feet of water each year, reducing the amount of water transported from the earth by 65 percent. However, over the years, this filter system is outdated and needs improvement. In addition, their performance is only about 93%.

The new water filtration system that NASA has provided more than $ 5 million in operating capital is 94% efficient. Although only 1% difference but the difference is quite large. Every drop of water in the universe is precious, by which it can help extend the human space mission and reduce the cost of shipping extremely expensive from the earth.

The new Paragon Space Development (PSD) urinal water filtration system (PSD) is expected to be completed by 2018. From then until now, the PSD will have to be tested several times before being deployed on the ISS.

NASA upgrades water purification systems for astronauts in the context of the agency is urgently preparing for a three-year expedition to Mars and future travel in the human space. .