Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #30786: How Brine Processing Helps Recycle Water Aboard the ISS

Living in space means every drop of water counts. The Brine Processor System (BPS), part of NASA’s Exploration Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS), tackles one of space habitation’s toughest challenges: turning waste brine into usable water. Brine is a highly concentrated salt solution left after initial urine treatment—essentially the 'leftovers' of recycling astronaut pee. On Earth, we wouldn’t think twice about discarding it, but in space, reusing even this last bit of moisture is critical.

NASA’s BPS is designed to extract more water from brine than ever before. It was tested on multiple ISS expeditions (61 to 71) and developed in collaboration with Paragon Space Development Corporation, NASA’s Johnson and Marshall centers. The system uses advanced vapor compression distillation to squeeze the last possible bit of water out of waste streams.

Why is this important? Because launching water into space is incredibly expensive. Every liter saved means more room for scientific instruments, food, or astronauts themselves. The BPS can boost water recovery from 85% to over 98%, a massive leap toward sustainable long-term missions to the Moon or Mars.

The experiment also helps scientists understand how to make life-support systems smaller, lighter, and more reliable. Future versions of the BPS could be part of space station upgrades, lunar habitats, or even spacecraft traveling to distant planets. As astronauts spend more time in space, the ability to recycle water completely becomes not just a convenience, but a necessity.

This brine processing project isn’t just about filtration—it’s about survival, autonomy, and the future of human space travel.

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