Generation of Chemical Commodities and Fertilizer from ISS and ISRU Water Brines Using Combined Ion Exchange and Electrodialysis

The goal is to develop a next generation brine recovery and electrolysis grade potable water producing system for Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) use. The project will combine previously-developed waste water brine ion exchange pretreatment system with a modified electrodialysis unit to produce purified water and other useful chemicals. The combining of these two systems has not yet been attempted. This system would take water from various sources such as ISS brines, water generated via ISRU regolith processes, or Mars/Lunar polar deposits and generate drinking or electrolysis-grade water, fuel, and other useful chemicals to significantly reduce consumable use, resulting in more closed-loop, sustainable systems. The goal is to validate the mass and energy balances, attempt to optimize the system, and gain lifecycle insight. The envisioned deliverables of this project will be 1) A system which can deliver purified electrolysis grade water which can be used for drinking water or propellant production, and 2) Produce useful chemicals isolated for use as fertilizers and ion exchange membrane regeneration.

Create a closed-loop water purification system for the ISS to reduce resupply of water and chemicals with significant cost savings. The goal is to increase water recovery on the ISS from 85% to 92-98%, resulting in an estimated cost savings of $60 to $120 million per year. The proposed process (chlor-alkali) is an established industrial process, but it has not been used for spacecraft ECLSS/ISRU applications (TRL 1)

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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.