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Exhaustive testing and analysis of Vapor Compression Distillation technology has proven its overall readiness as a wastewater processor for the recovery of water in orbiting and interplanetary spacecraft. In conjunction with Boeing Aerospace and Electronics and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Life Systems' technical team has been focusing on verifying and improving performance characteristics, micro-gravity compatibility, reliability and maintainability aspects of the Vapor Compression Distillation design. Amassing thousands of hours of testing and recent breakthroughs in the area of peristaltic pump design, product water conductivity sensing and gas/liquid separation concepts have substantially increased the engineering and scientific database that has been accumulating over the past 29 years.

Vapor Compression Distillation technology for phase change recovery of water from wastewater has evolved as a technically mature and energy efficient approach for meeting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration mission needs/goals for the near-term Space Station Freedom Program and future advanced missions such as a Lunar Base and Mars exploration. Water is essential not only for the survival of humans in space, but also for efficient and economical operation for various space stations. Life Systems, Inc., in conjunction with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has been developing the Vapor Compression Distillation Phase Change Concept. During the development of this technology over the past 17 years an extensive engineering and scientific database has been assembled.