Regenerative Ammonia Recovery from ISS Wastewater to facilitate Plant Growth, Year 2

Removal and recycling of nitrogen from wastewater is a critical technology for the ISS and future long-duration exploration missions. Nitrogen as ammonia is valuable for plant growth systems, but finding a way to remove it from the water stream without sodium (a toxin for plants) is difficult. KSC has developed a removal process for ammonia that precipitates struvite all chemicals beneficial to plants. This process could produce nitrogen for plants while preventing sodium accumulation. The process has the potential to become highly efficient, removing as much as 95% of the ammonia in wastewater.

ISS could be a potential user as a supplemental approach for wastewater processing. HEOMD AES would have interest for improved mass loop closure for long-duration ECLSS. Human Research Program would have interest to provide essential plant nutrients for supplemental food production. This proposed ammonia removal system would be much more advanced than current systems (nitrification, pretreatment stabilization). This system would be both regenerative while allowing the finished /spent absorption column to be used as plant food for hydroponic systems if desired or as a refrigerant on the International Space Station (current system uses ammonia that slowly burns off). This system, if applied in space, would pay for itself relatively quickly due to mass/energy savings from using it (reduced consumables, fewer downstream issues caused by ammonia).

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.