How to deal with space junk? Does it need to be sorted?

Before we knew it, the Shenzhou 14 crew has been living in space for more than two months. You may be curious about how the astronauts deal with the garbage they produce while living in space? Is it necessary to classify it when dealing with it? Today, let's find out.

After the astronauts eat the apple, the garbage will be placed in the garbage bag

Garbage disposal should be classified

Astronauts will generate some garbage during their time in the "space home". Except for liquids that can be purified and recycled, other garbage needs to stay in space for a period of time before it can be taken away from the "space home" by the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft. At this time, garbage classification is particularly important. Garbage classification can not only compress the volume of garbage and facilitate storage, but also effectively prevent the growth of bacteria and keep the "space home" clean and tidy.

Astronaut Cai Xuzhe puts away the food packaging bag after eating

Space junk is classified according to its hazard level . In order to prevent bacteria from growing during storage, high-hazard level junk such as kitchen waste and excrement needs to be treated with preservatives.

Astronaut Liu Yang puts the garbage in the garbage bag

Ordinary garbage such as paper towels and plastic packaging bags can be put directly into garbage bags, which are then vacuumed and compressed to reduce the volume for easy storage.

Astronaut Chen Dong puts food packaging bags into garbage bags

There is a "magic tool" for garbage collection

Astronauts need tools to help them sort and collect garbage in space. In their "space home", astronauts use garbage bags, garbage compactors, residue collectors and other tools to facilitate the collection and treatment of garbage.

Astronaut Liu Yang takes out the garbage bag

The garbage compactor can be used to compress and process garbage bags containing post-meal garbage to reduce the volume of garbage storage. The residue collector can be used to collect food residues or water droplets suspended in the air. The collection of this type of garbage is very important. Once these debris are inhaled into the lungs of astronauts, they will cause harm to the astronauts' bodies. At the same time, if they float into the gaps between the equipment in the space station, they will also pose a threat to the operation of the equipment.

Astronaut Chen Dong uses a debris collector

There is a way to deal with garbage

1. Recycling of liquid waste

Water resources are very precious in space. The sweat and exhaled water of astronauts can be purified and used as recycled drinking water. Urine can also be collected and processed into pure drinking water. In this way, liquid waste can be recycled.

2. Domestic garbage will be collected and packed and re-entered by the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft

Domestic waste is collected, compressed and stored, and then re-entered into the atmosphere with the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft for incineration, reducing pollution to space.

Tianzhou cargo spacecraft re-enters the atmosphere in a controlled manner

After reading this, everyone must have a preliminary understanding of the classification and treatment of space debris. I believe that with the continuous development of my country's manned spaceflight industry, technologies such as wastewater reuse and garbage disposal will become more and more advanced, and the working and living environment of astronauts in their "space home" will become more and more comfortable.