NASA's New Bag Turns Urine Into Sports Drink

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NASA's New Bag Turns Urine Into Sports Drink

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday July 7, 2011 @06:40AM from the I'm-afraid-that's-not-lemon-flavored-dave dept.

An anonymous reader writes "NASA's Atlantis shuttle is set to launch this Friday, and its crew will be testing an innovative device that can recycle human urine into a sugary sports drink. The bag uses forward osmosis technology and features a semi-permeable membrane capable of isolating water from virtually any liquid. Recycling urine in this way has a significant effect on a ship's payload, and considering that a single pound adds $10,000 of cost, that slight weight difference can translate to serious savings." CT: I'm at Kennedy Space Center now, tweeting as @cmdrtaco. And I think I'll stay away from the sports drink.

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Having tasted many sports drinks... by Kenja · 2011-07-07 06:42 · Score: 5, Funny

I bet they could have gotten away with just a regular plastic bag.

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1. Re:Having tasted many sports drinks... by tripleevenfall · 2011-07-07 09:04 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Urine idiot.
Just in time! by JudgeFurious · 2011-07-07 06:42 · Score: 4, Funny

We needed something to wash the "Turd Burger" down with!

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Just ask Bear Grylls by Reverand+Dave · 2011-07-07 06:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Piss was already a sports drink.

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1. Re:Just ask Bear Grylls by Martin+Blank · 2011-07-07 08:43 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Drinking urine when no other source of fluid is available is better than simply dehydrating and is better than drinking sea water. However, once dehydration has set in, drinking urine only compounds the issue. The body is already trying to get rid of sodium to maintain the proper balance, and drinking the urine just adds it back into the body. This leads to even more thirst as the body craves water to balance things out again.
  This is why Les Stroud built the urine still. The water was relatively clean and safer to drink, though you get diminishing returns if that's all you have. It may provide a holdover until you can find a better source of water.
  
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In related news:Nasa nixes asparagas from menu.... by bodland · 2011-07-07 06:44 · Score: 5, Funny

It IS in you...
Stillsuit by Anonymous Coward · 2011-07-07 06:44 · Score: 3, Interesting

NASA has given us one of the major components required for a functioning stillsuit. Thanks, NASA!
My favorite quote applies by Synn · 2011-07-07 06:45 · Score: 3, Funny

"You cannot pee into a Mr. Coffee and get Taster's Choice!"
Name it... by JoeTalbott · 2011-07-07 06:46 · Score: 4, Funny

Tang 2.0
It's got electrolytes... by goldspider · 2011-07-07 06:46 · Score: 4, Funny

It has what astronauts crave!

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New Advertising Slogan by tool462 · 2011-07-07 06:47 · Score: 5, Funny

Gatorade. Was it in you?
work with sea water? by sl4shd0rk · 2011-07-07 06:52 · Score: 3, Interesting

Assuming it can filter out a bacterial infection in piss so will it work to make sea water drinkable?

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1. Re:work with sea water? by Obfuscant · 2011-07-07 07:30 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  This technology isn't new. It's being used around the world already. The company's name is Hydration Technology, not SeaPack. SeaPack is the product name for that particular version intended for maritime use.
  They provide the same kind of devices for humanitarian purposes. There is at least one version for military use, and I was able to pick up a few of the early versions through a company contact.
  Here's the direct link: http://www.htiwater.com/
What about drugs/hormones? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-07-07 06:55 · Score: 5, Interesting

With the realization that effluent from sewage plants has detectable amounts of antidepressants, estrogen (from birth control pills), and other modern drugs which may be impacting river life, I'd really like to know that this membrane stops those (as well as "virtually any liquid"). I'd hate to spend a couple of months in space and find that I now had breasts due to water-transported hormones from the women on the crew...and that they'd grown muscles and body hair due to mine.
1. Re:What about drugs/hormones? by perpenso · 2011-07-07 07:15 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  With the realization that effluent from sewage plants has detectable amounts of antidepressants, estrogen (from birth control pills), and other modern drugs which may be impacting river life, I'd really like to know that this membrane stops those (as well as "virtually any liquid"). I'd hate to spend a couple of months in space and find that I now had breasts due to water-transported hormones from the women on the crew...and that they'd grown muscles and body hair due to mine.
  Given the antidepressants are you sure you would hate it? :-)
Re:Clear as Rocky Mountain spring water by Tsingi · 2011-07-07 07:16 · Score: 3, Funny

....and by removing the filter, the bag can convert urine into Coors Lite.
Add one redneck and you have a perpetual (quasi) beer machine.
Yes... by pelrun · 2011-07-07 07:23 · Score: 3, Funny

Twice!
Re:So what ? by PhreakOfTime · 2011-07-07 08:12 · Score: 3, Informative

I have a well for my house, with a commercial reverse osmosis filtering system. So no, I don't realize that.
Aside from that, most of the cities around me get their drinking water directly from Lake Michigan. The 'sewage' that you mention gets treated and sold as 'soil' at the local home improvement store after being mixed with sand to prevent clumping. The fluid component also gets treated and sent off to agriculture where it is used as fertilizer. Any other reclaimed water is used mainly for irrigation or industrial uses, and not drinking water.
You only have a surface understanding of these processes, and it doesn't apply to very many actual cities, and millions of people. In actuality, there are probably only a few thousand people in the US who directly get drinking water from treated sewage like you describe.
Re:That is one beta test I am glad I am not part o by ArsonSmith · 2011-07-07 08:49 · Score: 3, Funny

taste tester: "which of these three samples taste the least like piss?"

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