Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — NASA is offering a $3 million (IDR 46 billion) reward to those who can solve the issue of human waste and trash management on the Moon. The competition, known as the LunaRecycle Challenge, aims to inspire innovative and practical solutions for recycling waste, which is critical to the sustainability of lunar missions.
On the Moon, there are at least 96 bags of human waste from previous missions. After all, even in space, the basic human need to relieve oneself remains.
During the Apollo missions, astronauts collected their urine in tanks, while solid waste was stored in bags. These waste materials were left on the lunar surface to lighten the load for their return trip, allowing more space for lunar samples.
However, human waste is just one part of the problem. Prolonged missions or future lunar bases would generate additional waste, including inorganic materials like scientific equipment, clothing, and food packaging. As NASA plans to establish longer stays on the Moon, managing this growing waste problem becomes increasingly important.
NASA aims to minimize waste generation from the start, but the agency is also seeking technological solutions through the competition to recycle waste into useful products.
“Sustainability is a key consideration for NASA as we explore and conduct research, both in space and on Earth,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive for the LunaRecycle Challenge, as quoted by IFL Science on Friday (10/18/2024).
“With this challenge, we’re seeking innovative approaches from the public to manage waste on the Moon and bring back lessons learned that can benefit everyone on Earth.”
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The competition is divided into two tracks. The Prototyping Track focuses on designing and developing hardware components and systems to recycle one or more solid waste streams on the Moon’s surface. The Digital Twin Track focuses on creating a virtual replica of a complete system to recycle solid waste streams and produce end-use products.
Teams can compete in either or both tracks, with prize money divided between the two categories.
(Becky)
