Water is heavy and hard to transport into orbit, which is why the International Space Station is a champion when it comes to recycling. The farthest humans have ever lived, and continue to live, from Earth is a spaceship called the ‘International Space Station’ or simply the ‘ISS’. If not, how do astronauts get their hands on drinking water in space? That leaves astronauts drinking a filtered mixture that includes recycled shower water, old astronaut sweat, and pee. Developing and maintaining water production on the International Space Station is vital for keeping the crew alive as well as supporting hygiene and equipment functions, yet it presents a bit of a challenge. Water is precious on Earth but even more so in space where all drinkable water must be transported from home or recycled. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day in order to stay properly hydrated is (hopefully) not news for most of us.

SPACE-O (Space Assisted Water Quality Forecasting Platform for Optimized Decision Making in Water Supply Services) integrates state-of-the-art satellite technology and in-situ monitoring with advanced hydrological, water quality models and ICT tools, into a powerful decision support system. But, did you know that there are specific times throughout the day when drinking water can actually boost your overall health and cognitive functioning? As water is a dense and heavy substance it takes a lot of energy to propel it into space – there is only so much a rocket can carry so the less water we send, the more scientific equipment can be sent in its place. Why don’t they send water tanks into space?