Russian cosmonauts on board of the International Space Station are getting ready to test the effectiveness of a new experimental water recycling system.
The new piece of equipment, designated SRV-U-RS and installed in the Rassvet module of the station, allows extracting water from humane urine, to be used for drinking.
As Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner explained on Twitter, as part of the experiment called "Separatsia" (Separation), they "put a bucket of distilled water from the urine regeneration system into condensed water regeneration system which will regenerate into potable water".
And tonight we will be drinking this water :) https://t.co/iaR9HVOroQ
— Ivan Vagner (@ivan_mks63) October 3, 2020
"And tonight we will be drinking this water", he added.
The urine recycling technology helps decrease the amount of water that needs to be shipped to the ISS via cargo spacecraft; the tech itself is hardly a novelty, and the American module of the station also features a device for reclaiming water from urine.
