Life support is a key enabling technology, and water recycling a major technological constraint for Space Station Freedom and subsequent long duration, manned space missions.
Four critical areas in spacecraft water recycling are 1) definition of recycled water requirements for spacecraft for humans, animals, plants and/or combined crews; 2) development of an effective and safe terminal treatment method; 3) control of microbial contamination and growth within recycled water systems; and 4) elucidation of the roles of plants in water recycling within a controlled environmental life support complex.
Problems in recycled water quality requirements currently include development of organic, microbial and disinfectant-product contaminant sampling, identification, quantification and health effects testing appropriate to long duration, recycled, spacecraft water systems.
A biologically-enhanced, physical/chemical terminal water treatment testbed is proposed to address some of these problems for advanced Freedom Station application. The use of plants for terminal water treatment, and plant transpiration water for potable water, are proposed. A botanically-enhanced, physical/chemical water reclamation and recycling testbed is proposed.