NASA URINE PASSES CONSUMER TEST

Nasa jubilant at urine solution
Astronauts have fixed a urine-recycling unit on the International Space Station, needed to support a six-person crew at the research outpost next year.

The mission of the US space shuttle Endeavour was extended by one day to fix the machine, which is designed to convert urine into drinking water.

The equipment had failed several times since it was delivered a week ago.

The shuttle is now due to return to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday after 16 days in orbit.

"Not to spoil anything, but I think up here the appropriate words are 'Yippee!'," space station Commander Mike Fincke told mission control early on Tuesday morning.

He supervised work on the malfunctioning water regeneration system - which distils, filters, ionises and oxidises wastewater including urine, perspiration and bath water, into drinkable water.

He reported that two rounds of modifications to stabilise the device's centrifuge appeared to have worked.

"There will be dancing later," mission controllers replied.