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Preliminary development of a core water-recycling system for potable water reprocessing has been performed, supported by a critical assessment of the required architecture and extensive experimental testing of materials, technologies and procedures. The functional architecture of the water-recycling system is characterised by a Core Water-Recycling System (CWRS) reprocessing potable water from moderately contaminated water such as hygiene water and condensation and CO2-reduction waters, and a complementary treatment technology allowing further processing of highly contaminated sources such as urine and brines from the core system. The quality of this last processed water is sufficient to allow its reprocessing by the core system. Technologies involved in the core water-recycling system and complementary brine recycling system are based on chemical treatment, ultra-filtration, reverse osmosis at acidic and neutral pH, photo-oxidation and phase-change.

Manned activity within a closed environment will generate a variety of wastes, both stable and potentially biodegradable. The wastes can never be totally eliminated: waste management aims to make a change of form which is both advantageous in terms of volume and hazard reduction and which does not compromise crew health and safety. Micro-organisms will be carried on board by the crew and will be present in the wastes. The fundamental philosophy of our waste management concept is to specifically exclude or specifically include this inherent microbial activity. The complete safe stabilization of waste requires its exclusion while the ultimate need of element recycle will rely on microbial conversion processes.