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Recently, the International Space Station got a hot new piece of equipment installed: a waste recycler. This fancy machine turns pee into delicious, delicious water. Unfortunately, they couldn't get it working right off the bat. Well, they finally did it. They are a go for pee drinking up there on the ISS.
The multimillion dollar water recycler recently installed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station is still experiencing some minor issues this evening, meaning crew members will just have to wait to have their first peetinis, Long Island Iced Pees, Whiskpee Sours and other lame pee-themed drinks I have yet to think of. The prototype recycler, which separates waste from water using a centrifuge system, was brought to the station aboard the latest shuttle mission. It malfunctioned two hours after installation, although a separate sweat and waste water recycler is working as expected. Phew!
A much-needed second toilet is on its way to the International Space Station, but that's not all, not nearly. NASA is gifting the crew with a new waste recycling system, which will be able to reclaim 'used' water. In other words, it will process astronauts' urine and return it to the station's water supply to, as one of the current inhabitants of the stations cheerily put it, "take yesterday's coffee and make it into today's coffee."
NASA workers at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston received what may be the high point in inter-office email last week requesting they begin to pay regular visits to the good folks of Hamilton Sundstrand, aka the "Wee Wee Contractors." They're collecting urine in massive quantities--30 litres per day--as part of their contract to build the toilet for the upcoming Orion lunar spacecraft. But why do they need so much? I'm sure it's all there in the email...
Ever been on the golf course, knocking back a few beers, when nature calls? It may be against club rules to duck into the rough for a leak—that's why the UroClub, developed by awesome urologist Floyd Seskin, is an answer to your prayers. Just place an inconspicuous towel over your junk, unscrew the cap of the club disguised to look like a 7-iron, and whiz away—up to half a liter. When you're done, stick the leak-proof club back in your bag and take your next shot. The UroClub costs US$50, a small price if you don't want to look like the guy below. [UroClub via Keith Olbermann]
If you're like me, there is urine all over your house. You know how crazy life can get, what with trying to juggle a career, a social life and a family. Sometimes you just don't know where that pee will end up! For a guy on the go like me, there's Urine-Off. It's spray that gets rid of pesky piss from wherever you spray it. It also comes with a helpful black light to help you find those "party stains," as they're known in my household. Finally, you can stop feeling guilty about peeing all over the place! It's a weight off my shoulders, let me tell you. Don't wait, buy yours today! [Product Page via NerdApproved]
Please, cease your screaming at the back, ladies, and feast your eyes on the AMXD, aka the "piddle pack." Developed by a Vermont firm, the trunks have a built-in hose and pump (stop boasting, I've heard it all before) which allows fighter pilots to relieve themselves during missions. Until the AMXD, or Advanced Mission Extender Device, came along, the fliers had three options open: diapers; keep it all in, causing potential bladder damage; or let it all out, running the risk of debilitating headaches—or even crashing the plane. More below.
Most diabetics are tough enough to routinely test their blood without crying about it (the alternative to death is certainly a good one), but Tanita has announced a portable digital urine glucose meter for those with sugar-management diseases like diabetes and metabolic syndrome that needs no blood.
Look, while I can certainly understand the convenience of using urine to charge some AA batteries if you're, say, stranded somewhere miles away from any other power source, it doesn't seem all that practical for day-to-day uses. That's not to say that these NoPoPo batteries aren't a technological marvel, because I'm sure they are. I just don't want to pee all over my hands trying to get it into a pipette every time I want to put new batteries in my sideburn trimmer. Fortunately for me, these batteries are Japan-only for now. [Reg Hardware]
