NASA has launched a new competition with prizes totaling $3 million to solve a long-standing problem with missions to the Moon and potential future missions to Mars.
Along with some robots, tardigrades, a family photo and maybe even some dinosaur remains, there are 96 bags of human excrement on the moon.
During the trips to the moon, the astronauts on the Apollo missions collected their urine in tanks, and for larger needs, they had to clip a bag around their anus. These bags, along with other waste and trash, were taken to the moon and left there to make room for the samples. In fact, the first photo taken on the moon by Neil Armstrong included one of these garbage bags.
How can we get rid of the waste produced in the missions to the moon?
Although rovers and selenization probes don’t produce much waste other than their own components, humans do generate a significant amount. It’s not just excrement and urine, but many other wastes that accumulate during long missions or in the case of a selenary base. This is the problem with lunar missions that NASA is now looking to solve through the LunaRecycle Challenge.
As NASA prepares to stay on the moon for longer periods, inorganic waste such as scientific equipment, clothing and food packaging could become a problem. While NASA tries to reduce this waste from the ground up, the organization is looking for ideas and technological solutions to recycle it into useful products.
“Operating in a sustainable manner is an important concern for NASA as we make discoveries and conduct research both far from home and on Earth,” said Amy Kaminskidirector of NASA’s Awards, Challenges and Crowdsourcing program.
“Through this challenge, we are looking for the public’s innovative approaches to waste management on the Moon and want to apply the lessons learned to Earth for the benefit of all,” she says, cited by IFL Science.
A competition with total prizes of 3 million dollars
The competition will be divided into two sections.
“The Prototype Build section focuses on the design and development of hardware and systems for recycling one or more solid waste streams on the lunar surface. The Digital Twin section focuses on designing a virtual copy of a complete system for recycling solid waste streams on the lunar surface and manufacturing end products,” explains NASA.
Teams may participate in one or both sections, and prizes will be split between the two categories.
“I am excited that NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge will contribute to solutions for technology needs in advanced manufacturing and habitats,” said Kim Krome, Centennial Challenges program manager and manager LunaRecycle Challenge.
“We are very excited to see the solutions generated by our global competitors and hope that this challenge will be a positive catalyst to bring the agency and humanity closer to exploring other worlds,” she concluded.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
