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The Lightweight Contingency Water Recovery System (LWC-WRS) harvests water from various sources in or around the Orion spacecraft in order to provide contingency water at a substantial mass savings when compared to stored emergency water supplies. The system uses activated carbon treatment (for urine) followed by forward osmosis (FO). The LWC-WRS recovers water from a variety of contaminated sources by directly processing it into a fortified (electrolyte and caloric) drink. Primary target water sources are urine, seawater, and other on board vehicle waters (often referred to as technical waters). The product drink provides hydration, electrolytes, and caloric requirements for crew consumption. The system hardware consists of a urine collection device containing an activated carbon matrix (Stage 1) and an FO membrane treatment element (or bag) which contains an internally mounted cellulose triacetate membrane (Stage 2).

The Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal (VPCAR) technology has been previously discussed as a viable option for the Exploration Water Recovery System. This technology integrates a phase change process with catalytic oxidation in the vapor phase to produce potable water from exploration mission wastewaters. A developmental prototype VPCAR was designed, built and tested under funding provided by a National Research Announcement (NRA) project. The core technology, a Wiped Film Rotating Device (WFRD) was provided by Water Reuse Technologies under the NRA, whereas Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International performed the hardware integration and acceptance test of the system. Personnel at the Ames Research Center performed initial systems test of the VPCAR using ersatz solutions. To assess the viability of this hardware for Exploration Life Support (ELS) applications, the hardware has been modified and tested at the MSFC ECLS Test Facility.

Direct osmotic concentration (DOC) is a membrane treatment process for reclamation of space craft wastewater. It incorporates a novel system architecture that includes a forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO) subsystem for hygiene (gray) water, and a membrane distillation subsystem for the treatment of urine and humidity condensate. The products of these subsystems are combined and then post-treated by a catalytic oxidation subsystem. This paper documents progress made during the second year of a three year Rapid Technology Development Team (RTDT) effort.

NASA is currently developing two new human rated launch systems. They are the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM). Both of these spacecraft will require new life support systems to support the crew. These life support systems can also be designed to reduce the mass required to keep humans alive in space. Water accounts for about 80% of the mass required to keep a person alive. As a result recycling water offers a high return on investment. Recycling water can also increase mission safety by providing an emergency supply of drinking water. This paper evaluates the potential benefits of two wastewater treatment technologies that have been designed to reduce the mass of the CEV and LSAM missions. For a 3 day CEV mission to the International Space Station (ISS) this approach could reduce the mass required to provide drinking water by 65% when compared to stored water. For an 18 day Lunar mission a mass savings of 70% is possible.

Direct osmotic concentration (DOC) has been identified as a potential wastewater treatment process for potable reuse in advanced life support systems (ALSS). As a result, further development of the DOC process is being supported by a NASA Rapid Technology Development Team (RTDT) program. DOC is an integrated membrane system combining three unique membrane separation processes including forward osmosis (FO), membrane distillation (MD), and reverse osmosis (RO) that is designed to treat separate wastewater streams comprising hygiene wastewater, humidity condensate, and urine. An aqueous phase catalytic oxidation (APCO) process is incorporated as post treatment for the product water. In an ongoing effort to improve the DOC process and make it fully autonomous, further development of the three membrane technologies is being pursued.

Mixed liquid/solid wastes, including feces, water processor effluents, and food waste, can be lyophilized (freeze-dried) to recover the water they contain and stabilize the solids that remain. Our previous research has demonstrated the potential benefits of using thermoelectric heat pumps to build a lyophilizer for processing waste in microgravity. These results were used to build a working prototype suitable for ground-based human testing. This paper describes the prototype design and presents results of functional and performance tests.

This paper presents the results of a program to develop the next generation Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal (VPCAR) system. VPCAR is a spacecraft water recycling system designed by NASA and constructed by Water Reuse Technology Inc. The technology has been identified by NASA to be the next generation water recycling system [1]. It is designed specifically for a Mars transit vehicle mission. This paper provides a description of the process and an evaluation of the performance of the new system. The equivalent system mass (ESM) is calculated and compared to the existing state-of-the art. A description of the contracting mechanism used to construct the new system is also provided.

The study of life in extreme environments provides an important basis from which we can undertake the search for extraterrestrial life. This paper provides a description of a program focused on developing technologies which are necessary to evaluate the potential for the existence of a deep sub-seafloor biosphere.

This paper provides an assessment of the technical readiness of the Vapor Phase Catalytic Ammonia Removal Process (VPCAR). The VPCAR technology is a fully regenerative water recycling technology designed specifically for applications such as a near term Mars exploration mission. The VPCAR technology is a highly integrated distillation/catalytic oxidation based water processor. It is designed to accept a combined wastewater stream (urine, condensate, and hygiene) and produces potable water in a single process step which requires no regularly scheduled re-supply or maintenance for a 3 year mission. The technology is designed to be modular and to fit into a volume comparable to a single International Space Station Rack (when sized for a crew of 6). This paper provides a description of the VPCAR technology and a summary of the current performance of the technology.

This paper compares four potential water treatment systems in the context of their applicability to a Mars transit vehicle mission. The systems selected for evaluation are the International Space Station system, a JSC bioreactor-based system, the vapor phase catalytic ammonia removal system, and the direct osmotic concentration system. All systems are evaluated on the basis of their applicability for use in the context of the Mars Reference Mission. Each system is evaluated on the basis of mass equivalency. The results of this analysis indicate that there is effectively no difference between the International Space Station system and the JSC bioreactor configurations. However, the vapor phase catalytic ammonia removal and the direct osmotic concentration systems offer a significantly lower mass equivalency (approximately 1/7 the ISS or bioreactor systems).

The future of manned space exploration will be determined through a process which balances the innate need of humanity to explore its surroundings and the costs associated with accomplishing these goals. For NASA this balance is derived from economics and budgetary constraints that hold it accountable for the expenditure of public funds. These budgetary realities demand a reduction in cost and expenditures of exploration and research activities. For missions venturing out to the edge of habitability, the development of cost effective life support approaches will have a significant influence on mission viability. Over the past several years a variety of mission scenarios for Lunar and Mars missions have been developed. The most promising of these attempt to provide basic mission requirements at a minimum cost. As a result these missions are extremely power limited.