NASA offers R56M competition to recycle human poop in space
NASA has launched a competition in which it offers about R56 million to recycle human poop in space...
NASA is offering $3 million (approximately R56 million) to anyone who can propose technology to solve an unusual but critical problem: recycling human waste in space.
The space agency's LunaRecycle Challenge invites members of the public to propose innovative ways to recycle astronauts' faeces, urine, and vomit during lunar missions and long-haul spaceflights.
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There are currently 96 bags of human waste left on the moon from the Apollo missions, and the aim of the LunaRecycle Challenge is to prevent future missions from adding to that stinky celestial stash.
The selected technology will be used in upcoming space missions, including potential long-term lunar outposts.
"NASA is committed to sustainable space exploration. As we prepare for future human space missions, we must consider how various waste streams — including solid waste — can be minimised, as well as how waste can be stored, processed, and recycled in a space environment so that little or no waste will need to be returned to Earth," the agency stated on its website.
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NASA is currently reviewing the first round of proposals to determine which ideas will progress to the next phase of the competition. The team that comes out on top will be awarded $3 million (R56 million).
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