PremiumThree Chinese astronauts, who are currently on a mission at the Tianhe space station for nearly three weeks, have so far recycled 66 litres of urine to support the crew.
According to a report in the Global Times, the urine system in China's Tianhe space station core module has recycled 66 liters of urine and treated it into distilled water to help the crew.
This urine treatment system - a sub-system of the life support system - was devised by Chinese scientists with the 206 Research Institute of the Second Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC).
How Chinese astronauts have converted urine into distilled water?
According to the developers of the urine treatment system at Tianhe space station, water recycling is a key technological breakthrough to ensure a long-term human stay in the space station at a minimal cost.
The system can extract 5 litres of distilled water from 6 litres of urine in one cycle, the CASIC said.
The maximum water production rate is 2.5 litres per hour, it added.
The recycled water can be used for drinking, cleaning, or oxygen generating purposes in the space station.
CASIC said that the urine system can save as much as 100 million yuan (about $15.5 million) over a period of six months with three astronauts in orbit.
On June 17, China launched the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-12, sending three astronauts to Tianhe for a three-month mission.
The astronauts carried out the country's first spacewalk outside their space station on Sunday.
The spacewalk is only the second by Chinese astronauts since the Shenzhou 7 manned mission of 2008, which was conducted outside a spacecraft.
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