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At a glance, the water cycling aboard a spacecraft may seem gross, as it may come from distilled urine or moisture from human breath. However, the purified water in space is much cleaner than most of the potable water on Earth. Water can be made from hydrogen and oxygen, and after it is used, it is purified to be either reused or broken down for oxygen.
Water is very important when it comes to space travel. A fuel cell generates water from liquid oxygen and hydrogen, making 25 lb (11 kg) of water per hour. Any trapped hydrogen gas is then removed from this water by using a hydrogen separator. Excess hydrogen gas is released into space, and the water is stored in tanks.
As the diagram indicates, water is gathered for processing from urine and condensation humidity from the air (breathing), and the potable product water is then used for cleaning, eating, drinking, and generating oxygen. The waste water produced, such as soap water, is sent back for processing again. The excess hydrogen from oxygen generation is released into space. Even with intense conservation and recycling efforts, the spacecraft will gradually lose water due to inefficiencies in filtration systems.
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