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Comment by caseyohara | Hacker News Reader

Now I’m curious when and how the tank is emptied. Is the waste periodically picked up and brought back to Earth? Is it flushed directly into space? If not, is it because there is a risk of septic satellites, so to speak, stuck in orbit for other satellites to collide with? Moreover, what happens if the tank reaches capacity?

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It's recycled as drinking water on ISS. For the shuttle, it was dumped creating an ice cloud that was visible from the ground with the sun in the right position.

https://www.space.com/7274-mystery-explained-glow-night-sky-...

Shipping water is not ideal, I’m all for filtration and reuse. As a true NIMBY, I’ll stick with fresh water for myself.

The water you can find to drink on earth has most likely been recycled through men and beasts countless times over millions of years. Though the precise permutation atoms could be new.

Of for sure. It’s just that it’s a bit too close to home when you know who’s piss it is you’re drinking. I’m more ok with diplodocus piss.

The Expanse (book series) has a nice quote about water that "had been piss and tears and sweat and blood. The circle of life on Ceres was so small you could see the curve."

(Can't remember if these 2 are actually back-to-back, or even from the same book, but I think they were. Been a few years).

I can't remember the original source but I recall a pseudo inspirational quote that X atoms in your body were once part of Michaelengelo (or some other famous person). Seems plausible, yet another mind bender attributable to quantum physics.

It is filtered and reused as drinking water.

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