ISS piss recycler packs up again on eve of Atlantis visit The International Space Station's buggy urine-recycling unit has packed up again, according to reports. With the shuttle Atlantis due to visit shortly, temporarily boosting the number of people at the orbiting outpost to 12, it's feared that areas of the station may begin to fill up with containers of astronaut piss awaiting …
You lose 90% of the water you drink to respiration and sweat, probably more in a very dry environment like the ISS.
Spending money, effort, payload on recycling the most difficult/toxic/unpleasant 10% seems completely pointless. Unless the purpose of Nasa is to develop useful new technology for manned space flight - which is unlikely, or the makers of this needed a government contract.
This is old.
We all drink recycled piss, every single day. That's every man, woman, child, animal, bird, reptile, fish, and any other critter, single-celled and up, that lives on this big, blue, dampish rock.
Why do you (seem to) have issues with reality? Perhaps you have personal issues dealing with urine and yourself? This really isn't the place to go into that kinda thing ... And quite frankly, it's kinda disturbing that you seem to have a need to be so public about it. Seek help.
At least they get to purify it these days, unlike the hardy sailors of yesteryear:
"Is Captain Rum joining us for this bring-a-sample party, or is he going to sit this one out?"
"Oh no, he's been swigging his for ages. He says he likes it. Actually, come to think of it, he started before the water ran out."
It'll cease to be funny as soon as this hapless collection of alleged Rocket Scientists with their multi-gazillion dollar budget manage to build a basic water recyling unit that works for more than five minutes at a stretch.
Until then, I for one will continue to smirk at the continuing antics of the Heath Robinson Plumbing company in space.
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