Water on the Space Station NASA Science News home Water on the Space Station Rationing and recycling will be an essential part of life on the International Space Station. All of the denizens of the space station lose water when they exhale or sweat. Such vapors add to the ambient cabin humidity, which is eventually condensed and returned to the general water supply.
Nothing can go to waste.
Before recycling can begin, there has to be some water to start with. We have to recycle. There's already a Russian-built water processor in orbit that collects humidity from the air. Here at Marshall we're building a regenerative system that will be able to recycle almost every drop of water on the station and support a crew of seven with minimal resupplies. Shuttle pilot Terry Wilcutt with 7 contingency water containers destined for the space station Mir.