A nanofiber filter devised to purify water in orbit is currently at work on Earth, in devices that supply water to remote villages as well as in a water bottle that lets hikers and adventurers stay hydrated using streams and lakes.
NASA has recently discovered unexpected sources of water on the moon and Mars, but even so, space remains a desert for human explorers, and every drop must be recycled and reused. A nanofiber filter devised to purify water in orbit is currently at work on Earth, in devices that supply water to remote villages as well as in a water bottle that lets hikers and adventurers stay hydrated using streams and lakes. Another innovation in widespread use is the microbial check valve, a filtration device onboard the International Space Station that now prevents back-contamination in dental offices.
Read more: http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2013/cg_1.html
Image credit: NASA