The recycling system is needed for astronaut stations on the moon and Mars. It also will save NASA money because it won’ t have to ship up as much water to the station by space shuttle or cargo rockets.Besides, it’ s important as the space station is about to expand from three people living on board to six.

　　The recycling system had been brought up to the space station last November by space shuttle Endeavour, but it couldn’ t be used until samples were tested back on Earth. So when it came time to actually drink up, NASA made a big deal of it. The threeman crew stood, holding their drinks and congratulated engineers in two NASA centers that worked on the system.

　　“This is something that had been the stuff of science fiction，” Barratt said before taking a small mouthful. “The taste is worth trying.”

　　NASA deputy space shuttle manager LeRoy Cain called it “a huge milestone”．

　　The new system takes the combined urine of the crew from the toilet, moves it to a big tank, where the water is boiled off, and the vapor is collected. The rest of the urine is thrown away. The water vapor is mixed with water from air condensation, and then it goes through filters. When six crew members are aboard it can make about six gallons from urine in about six hours.

　　“Some people may find the idea of drinking recycled urine distasteful, but it is also done on Earth with a lot longer time between urine and the tap”said Marybeth Edeen, the space station’s national lab manager.

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