Scientists Are Working on ‘Dune’-Inspired Stillsuits That Turn Astronauts’ Urine Into Drinking Water

Astronauts might soon find out what it’s like to live on the fictional planet of Arrakis from Dune. 

Well, kind of. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine are taking a page out of Frank Herbert’s book and have developed a real-life stillsuit inspired by the costumes worn by the Fremen in the sci-fi novels and film series, which stars Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet, The Wall Street Journal reported.

In a study published on Friday in Frontiers in Space Technologies, a team of scientists introduced the design of a filtration system that can capture urine and turn it into recycled water that the wearer can safely drink. Currently, NASA astronauts wear spacesuits equipped with a waste collection garment, which is essentially a disposable adult diaper. 

“Rather than astronauts having to wear diapers, the system collects the urine and then filters it and returns it as potable water within the suit,” Sofia Etlin, an author of the study, told the newspaper. 

The full-body stillsuit prototype is made from a flexible, lightweight fabric and includes a collection cup. A vacuum pump then transports the urine to a filtration system, which wearers would carry on their back. The system itself weighs roughly 17.5 pounds and can filter 17 ounces of urine in approximately five minutes with the help of a 20.5-volt battery. The recycled water is then infused with electrolytes and pumped into an in-suit drinking bag, or IDB, for astronauts to consume. 

“We’re talking about a completely new set of commercial astronauts that might not be as interested in using diapers,” added Etlin, who published the study alongside Christopher Mason, professor of physiology and biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine.  

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According to the researchers, current spacesuit designs only allow for an IDB that holds 32 ounces of water, which they believe isn’t enough for physically demanding spacewalks that can last anywhere from eight to 12 hours. “As we all know, it’s good to stay hydrated,” said Mason. 

The new filtration system that’s been designed doesn’t process excrement, however, the team who published the study admits that the ability to recycle feces into drinkable water is a goal they’re working towards—in addition to creating a garment that’s more comfortable and functional overall. The scientists plan on testing their real-life stillsuit this fall during a clinical trial at the Cornell lab.