Post | 11/14/2008 4:30 pm
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ShareShuttle Launch Shocker: Crew Is Drinking Recycled Urine
NASA astronauts — launching into outer space today — should keep away from eating asparagus.
That’s because the vegetable is known to make your pee stink … and that’s exactly what the crew onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour (which launches later today) will be drinking. According to the BBC, the six-person team will be using a water regeneration system that recycles their fluids. The system distills, filters, ionizes and oxidizes wastewater — including urine — into fresh water for drinking, reports the BBC.
As one astronaut said, it "will make yesterday’s coffee into today’s coffee."
Sounds out of this world but, according to one astronaut, the recycled wee-wee is actually purer than the H2O we drink on Earth. The only complaint was that it tastes like iodine. Guess we’ll have to take their word for it. No one here is volunteering to get their own water regeneration system to test it.
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12 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment
Well isn’t that what’s going on with our water purification plants now. It just on a smaller scale because it’s installed on the shuttle.
Elaine,
Those where my thoughts too! I remember when I was in the fourth grade, our class took a field trip to the sewage treatment plant. At the end of the tour, My teacher was standing there, with cups in hand and we were expected to drink a glass of water. Well I refused. I was then told it was the same water I would drink at home. Yes, I said but i would not be standing looking at the pools of sewage at the same time…Never forgot that teacher, or that lesson…I really preferred the trip to the dairy and Helms Bakery!
LoL Jen, Me too. I also went to a sewage treatment plant in grade school also the good ole dairy farm. My fav was the printing press where the newspapers were made. I just remenber being so facinated that all those words were being laid down all at once.
Elaine — when they get it installed —can’t you see everyone saying — Naw, you take the first sip? :)
LOL, Yummy Yum!
many, globally, use their urine as a medicine—-Oriental rich men, and aboriginal ‘still-head-hunters’—-they drink it—-yuk????—-i feel the same on raw-oysters—-or liver—-
and printing presses? as a lit/maj, i was a copy-boy, then cub reporter—-the job included grabbing 1st editions for editing—- (back then were morning, eve editions)—-the press was a block long, awesome and loud—-the print was ‘lead-alloy’—-ya been there? curious—-
Ewwwwwww!!!!! Oh my Lord I’m going to hurl!
bring on les escargot? or the chitlins? or pickled pigs feet? now—-raw oysters? yipes—-food, culture? ‘strange brew’.
We all drink recycled urine because that’s all there is. I believe astronauts and cosmonauts have always been drinking recycled urine on any mission over several days.
At least they get it treated… coal miners trapped in caves, hikers lost in the dsesert… it’s the raw, concentrated urine they get… mmmmmmm, good cracker!
I’ve read several articles on surviving in the wild and drinking one’s urine was suggested in all of them. Why? After leaving the heated filtration system which is the human body, urine is sterile as well as being fully acclimated to one’s OWN biochemistry. As for taste? Hold your nose :^) I guess.
San Diego planned that several years ago-turning processed sewege into drinking water, but not for all of San Diego-only certain parts. For instance, La Jolla was not included and several other upscale neighborhoods were excluded from this. San Diego voters said No.
I now have an aerobic septic system where I live and I was assured the processed water being sprayed on my yard from the septic system was pure enough to drink, but I wouldn’t want to try it. Just the idea of it.