Dune has shown us in recent years that science fiction is in an unbeatable moment. The quality of its production design has become an example to follow throughout the industry, and its technological devices seem irreplicable. However, one of the most striking ones has just become a reality.
The distiller, the suit from Dune that collects and purifies body moisture to survive in the desert of Arrakis, has become something possible to explore in the real world. Researchers from Cornell University have developed a urine collection and filtration system for space suits, further detailed in Frontiers in Space Technology. This system uses an external catheter and an osmosis unit to convert urine into drinking water. It also has various safety mechanisms.
The suit of the future arrives
NASA plans to implement this system in the Artemis II and III missions, improving the current waste-management systems in space suits (MAGs), which have been problematic. The new design includes a multi-layered inner garment connected to a silicone collection cup that adjusts to the genitals. The microfiber inside the cup extracts urine, which is suctioned by a vacuum pump activated by an RFID tag.
The urine is filtered through reverse osmosis with an efficiency of 87%, and then the purified water, enriched with electrolytes, is stored in a drink bag in the suit, ready to be consumed. The purification process takes only five minutes for 500 mL of urine. The complete system, which includes pumps, sensors, and a liquid crystal display, runs on a 20.5 V battery and weighs around eight kilos (about 18 lbs).
Science fiction has been inspiring real life for years when it comes to exploring technology. Now, the entire universe imagined by Frank Herbert is coming to life, both in cinema and real-world science.
