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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.

There is an assortment of hardware designed to work together to provide fluid servicing, seal leak checking and other plumbing-type services on the International Space Station (ISS). The Fluid Systems Servicer (FSS) is designed to drain, purge, fill, and recirculate fluids for on-orbit start-up, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. The FSS will utilize space vacuum for purging operations on-orbit via the Vacuum Access Jumpers (VAJ), thus providing vacuum back-filling and static leak check capability with minimal power consumption. The FSS services Internal Thermal Control Systems (ITCS) and Environmental Control & Life Support (ECLS) System hardware in the pressurized elements of the ISS. The FSS gas/liquid separator fulfills an additional design requirement of removing entrained gas from fluids by means of a static membrane separator. The FSS and some ancillary equipment also perform Seal Leak Check (SLC), pressure removal and equalization, and window assembly maintenance on ISS.