Astronauts on the International Space Station have to recapture every possible drop. That includes water evaporated from showers, shaving, tooth brushing and hand washing, plus perspiration and water vapour that collects within the astronauts' space suits. They even transfer water from the fuel cells that provide electric power to the space shuttle. NASA, until recently had not attempted to tap one major potential source of water: urine. The deployment of the new Water Recovery System on Friday, Nov. 14 2008, made it possible to double to six the number of crew members who can live aboard the International Space Station. Michigan Tech researchers helped optimise the design, increasing its efficiency by 30 percent.
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