Astronauts Could Tap Into Lunar Water Resources for Drinking and Breathing

New Water-Dispensing System on International Space Station Tests Technology for Future Moon Missions

By Nuray Bulbul, July 12, 2024

As NASA prepares for future missions to the Moon, a new water-dispensing system on the International Space Station is testing out technology that could one day provide astronauts with a source of drinking water and oxygen.

The system, called the Water Recovery System, is designed to extract water from the atmosphere of the space station. This water can then be used for drinking, cooking, and other purposes. The system also has the ability to split off the oxygen atoms from the water molecules, producing oxygen that can be used for breathing.

These efforts are crucial for ensuring that future Artemis astronauts have access to essential water supplies. Water is critical for human survival, and it is also a valuable resource for generating oxygen. By developing technologies that can extract water from the lunar environment, NASA is taking a major step towards making future moon missions more sustainable.

The Artemis 2 moon astronauts recently finished a splashdown exercise in a pool to practice for their upcoming mission. The Artemis II flight test will be NASA's first mission with crew aboard the SLS Space Launch System rocket.