Astronauts Recycle Urine, Sweat into Drinking Water in Space

Sensors then check the purity of the water. Liquid substances that do not meet the standards are sent back for reprocessing. 

Iodine is added to acceptable water to prevent microbial growth, then stored for future use by the crew. If this begs the question, do astronauts drink urine in space? 

The answer is of course not. The team points to the fact that water produced on the ISS is superior to water produced by water systems on Earth. 

"The processing is basically similar to the water distribution system on Earth, except it's done in microgravity. The crew are not drinking urine, they are drinking water that has been recaptured, filtered and cleaned in a way that is cleaner than what we drink on Earth," Williamson explained.