The Institute for Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences plans to conduct an experiment of recycling different bio waste products into liquids, TASS informs.
The Head of the Institute Vyacheslav Ilyin dealing with public health security in the artificial environment explained that sufficient quantity of inorganic waste is accumulated at the International Space Station for a relatively short period. It includes dry and wet napkins, towels, antibacterial wipes and other one-time-use items. A bioreactor with microorganisms recycling inorganic waste into process water could be one of the solutions to treat inorganic waste.
Overall, bio waste recycling is an important part of outer space flights, as it is forbidden to throw away organic waste but too expensive to keep it onboard.
Cosmonauts at the orbit leave around 500–700 grams of wipes and towels every day. After long-term expeditions, accumulated waste products are loaded into cargo space crafts, which are de-orbited later and burnt in the atmosphere. Bioreactor will solve a part of problems connected to waste utilization. In case of interplanetary missions, such a reactor will be essential. In the closest future, scientists plan to deal with plant food treatment.
Russkiy Mir
