The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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A self-sustaining water filtration system at the University of Kenitra in Morrocco. Solar panels and a wind generator power the system that is visible under the right-most solar panels. From there, fresh drinking water is delivered to the taps in the foreground.
Recycling waste water and urine into drinking water is not only for astronauts – the same method is treating groundwater for a school in Morocco.
ESA has been working for over 20 years on the best recipe for a closed life-support system that processes waste and delivers fresh oxygen, food and water to astronauts. One of the discoveries is how to build and control organic and ceramic membranes with holes 700 times finer than a strand of human hair. These tiny pores can filter out unwanted compounds in water, in particular nitrates.
Building on ESA’s experience with membranes, French company Firmus teamed up with Germany’s Belectric to build a self-sustaining unit powered by solar panels and wind energy.
The pilot model in Morocco caters for 1200 students. Surplus energy and water generated during school holidays are shared with locals.
If the membrane approach works well in Morocco, the unit will be scaled up by a factor of ten to deliver water to the rest of the local population.