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The Water Supply Assembly (WSA) is part of the Liquid Management Section (LMS) of the Hermes Environmental Control and Life Support Subsystem (ECLSS) (see ref. [1] and [2]). The WSA has to provide pure water for drinking and food preparation (rehydratation of dry food and beverage powder) and to provide pure water for hygiene purposes (oral hygiene and towel wetting). To obtain different desired temperatures (as well as different quantities of water to be dispensed), a heating device, using electrical foils, and a cooling device, using a water/water heat exchanger have been designed with regard to the critical mass and power requirements. Two dispensers are used to fill food/beverage or hygiene (towels) containers. As part of the Hermes C1 phase, breadboard models of the heating device (heater) and of the cooling device (chiller) have been manufactured and functionally tested.

Latest developments of the manned European space transportation system programs have shifted emphasis from the winged vehicles (HERMES) towards unwinged, capsule type vehicles like the Assured Crew Return Vehicle (ACRV) or the Crew Transfer Vehicle (CTV). While the work on the CTV is still in an early stage, a Phase A study was performed on the ACRV in late 1992 to 1993, detailing already the major subsystem layouts, among these the Environmental Control and Life Support System and Crew Systems such as crew seats, transport couches for injured crew members or displays and controls. Due to the particular set of requirements on this rescue vehicle, it quickly became evident that optimal layouts of these crew aspect subsystems are not necessarily easily transferable from rather well known designs of e.g. a space station.