Space technology for water sector

The paper will present Space innovations focused on the water treatment considering economical and strategic interests. Water is a crucial issue in space as well as on Earth. For many years the European Space Agency has been driving RD all over Europe in order to develop innovative and original systems for water and waste recycling. Systems based on physical-chemical processes are already in service on board the International Space Station; others like 'MELISSA' (Micro-Ecological Life Support Alternative) are based onmicrobial degradation and will be used during long-term spaceflight, such as a planetary mission to Mars. The development of sensors to test the microbial contamination of the water, strategies for water close loop, hydrical maps of water content in meat production, is an example of the space technology application for the water sector. BIOFINDER, ECOFLOAT are spin-off companies created in Spain based on space technologies with a product related to water applications.