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NASA's New Bag Turns Urine Into Sports Drink

Posted by samzenpus on 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.

5 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. Having tasted many sports drinks... by Kenja · · Score: 5, Funny

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

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  2. Just ask Bear Grylls by Reverand+Dave · · Score: 5, Funny

    Piss was already a sports drink.

    --
    I got here through a series of tubes
  3. In related news:Nasa nixes asparagas from menu.... by bodland · · Score: 5, Funny

    It IS in you...

  4. New Advertising Slogan by tool462 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gatorade. Was it in you?

  5. What about drugs/hormones? by Anonymous Coward · · 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.