Outdoor survival: extreme ways astronauts get drinking water in space

When it comes to transporting objects into space, astronauts and their mission-flight control teams are some of the most efficient packers in the world. In fact, they should be, because carrying things into space is very expensive. Even the smallest things must be recorded, documented, and counted before being taken on a journey into space.

Can you guess what is the most important thing you are allowed to carry, which is hugely heavy?

So, do astronauts carry all the water they need to stay in space for a few months? If not, how can astronauts get drinking water in space?

Why don't they send water tanks into space?

The farthest place on Earth humans have ever lived — and still live — is a spaceship called the International Space Station or simply the ISS. It's basically a laboratory that orbits our planet and always hosts a few astronauts who spend time there for research or other operational purposes.

As mentioned earlier, sending things into space is very expensive. Keep in mind that launching a SpaceX rocket (one of Elon Musk's own reusable innovations) costs more than $1,800 per pound!

Therefore, transporting water to and from Earth is financially impractical, so in order to deal with "water problems" on board a spaceship (in this case, the International Space Station), there are some innovative techniques and methods already in place. However, if you feel nauseous easily, my advice is to be careful throughout the next paragraph.

The way they make potable water on the ISS

What does one do when there is a constant amount of water available on board and there is practically no means of replenishing its supply?

Yes! That's exactly what astronauts do. If you live on the International Space Station, you will lose a certain amount of water each time you exhale or sweat. One breath or drop of sweat may not represent a significant amount in terms of replenishing water supplies, but the ISS is designed to support a crew of six (plus visitors), all sweating and exhaling. The fumes from these exhalations and sweating help keep the surrounding cabin moist, eventually condensed and used to replenish the ISS's public water supply.

The ISS has a complex water management system that extracts every drop of accessible water, whether it comes from people's breath, from recycled bath water, from the remnants of handwashing and oral hygiene, from astronauts' sweat and even urine! It tastes like bottled water, as long as you psychologically get past the point where what you drink without checking it is the reality of recycled urine and the product of condensation.

Even the animals on board the International Space Station have a role in all this, as they exhale and urinate, which also contributes to... Well, you get the idea, don't you?

This strict water conservation is critical aboard the ISS, because without it, it would take 40,000 pounds of water transferred from Earth to support only four crew members for one year aboard the ISS.

Needless to say, the water obtained after such intensive treatment is absolutely pure; in fact, it is purer than the tap water we drink here on Earth!

So "recycled water" is all the water on the ISS?

No, this will not make sense, because even to recycle water, there must be a certain amount of water to start with.

The Russian module "Zaria" located on the International Space Station contains some emergency water containers (known as "CWCs" in astronaut parlance) that were brought to the shuttle during assembly missions. Each CWC unit holds about 90 pounds of water and looks like a rainproof bag.

Furthermore, not all astronauts aboard the ISS drink recycled water that contains recycled urine. The Russian-run ISS section uses a different water purification system that uses only water from excess shower water and condensation products. By avoiding recycled water from urine, the Russians earn slightly less than their American counterparts (3.6 gallons) on the International Space Station.

Of course, all current reuse and recycling systems are effective, but not absolutely effective. Researchers are constantly trying to build better, more efficient machines and support systems to reduce water loss and discover other ways to utilize water from waste products.

There's no denying that if you're one of the people on the International Space Station, there won't be many people who are more excited than you to conserve water!