Astronaut urine may be recycled into nutrients, plastic
Scientists have found a way to recycle human urine into food supplements and plastics, an advance that may make long duration space trips more feasible. Astronauts can not take a lot of spare parts into space because every extra ounce adds to the cost of fuel needed to escape the Earth’s gravity. “If astronauts are going to make journeys that span several years, we will need to find a way to reuse and recycle everything they bring with them. Atom economy will become really important,” said Mark A Blenner, from the Clemson University in the US.
The solution lies in part with the astronauts themselves, who will constantly generate waste from breathing, eating and using materials. Unlike people on Earth, Blenner said, spacefarers wouold not want to throw any waste molecules away. Researchers are studying how to repurpose these molecules and convert them into products the astronauts need, such as polyesters and nutrients. Some essential nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, have a shelf life of just a couple of years, said Blenner.
They will need to be made en route, beginning a few years after launch, or at the destination. “Having a biological system that astronauts can awaken from a dormant …read more
