QinetiQ Space has signed a £1.1 million euro contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a ground prototype water treatment unit to recycle urine and waste water for use in space.

The ground model prototype will be used for testing and know-how to develop a system that will be used in future space missions to treat water for re-use by astronauts to wash, or to be purified further to drinking water. The ground prototype and testing will ensure the future system can work in space as it should, with a design that has to take into account the lack of gravity, the launch and the life expectancy of the components in different environments.

Along with the prototype development and preliminary design, QinetiQ will provide project coordination with a consortium including NTE, carrying out requirements analysis, VITO, working on membrane technology and UGent, responsible for the urine related subsystem and overall life testing.

Sanjay Razdan, Managing Director, QinetiQ Space in the UK, said; “Water is obviously essential for long-term space missions.  For a space mission with 6 crew members it is estimated that they have a water consumption of 166 litres per day so the development of an efficient, reliable and safe water treatment system that can re-use water is essential. We are delighted to be developing a prototype unit that will enable this to be the case for future space missions.”

About QinetiQ Space

The aerospace company QinetiQ Space designs and builds small satellites, satellite components

and scientific instruments for space travel. QinetiQ Space started in Kruibeke in 1969 as Verhaert.

The company initially developed industrial products, and has been working on space travel projects

since 1983. The Belgian organization is the most important supplier of small satellites for ESA, the

European Space Agency. QinetiQ Space employs 70 people, achieved a turnover of 20 million euro

in the financial year 2012-2013, and became part of the British-American QinetiQ Group in 2005.

More info at http://www.spacenv.qinetiq.com.

QinetiQ Space

Frank Preud’homme

Hogenakkerhoekstraat 9, B-9150 Kruibeke

T: +32 (0)3 250 43 44