NASA Is Offering $3 Million to Solve a Problem That Started When Neil Armstrong Set Foot on the Moon: Poop

NASA needs you. That’s a familiar slogan at the world’s most famous space agency. Despite employing some of the brightest minds, there are still problems that remain unsolved—issues so complex that NASA has to turn to the public for help. Currently, there are about 20 projects open for public collaboration, but none quite like this one. NASA not only needs your help to solve it, but it also has a proposition for you. If you succeed, you could become a millionaire.

A “shitty” problem. NASA has launched a competition offering $3 million in prizes to those who can help solve a problem that has persisted for years: managing human waste in space. With renewed efforts to explore the Moon and future missions to Mars, this issue is more relevant than ever.

The puzzle. NASA is seeking a solution for handling human waste during space exploration. In other words, alongside robots, tardigrades, a family photo, and other remnants, it won’t be unusual to find hundreds of bags of human excrement on the Moon. Those who find a solution know exactly what’s at stake.

Going deeper. You may not remember, but in the first photo taken on the Moon by Neil Armstrong, there was a small, secondary element: a suspiciously smelly garbage bag—the first of many.

During the Apollo missions, astronauts used a tank to collect urine, but defecation required a different procedure: tying a bag over the anus. These bags, along with other human waste and garbage, arrived on the Moon with the astronauts, who deposited them on the lunar surface to make room for the lunar samples.

Not just excrement. As NASA explains, the contest covers not only human waste but also other materials and garbage that astronauts accumulate during their missions.

The problem could become even more significant if NASA and other space agencies establish colonies on the Moon. Inorganic waste, such as scientific equipment, clothing, and food containers, could pose serious challenges. That’s why NASA is seeking solutions through its LunaRecycle Challenge.

Competition rules. NASA is seeking ideas and designs for technologies that can recycle waste into valuable products. Amy Kaminski, program executive for NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program, explains, “Operating sustainably is an important consideration for NASA as we make discoveries and conduct research both away from home and on Earth.”

Kaminski adds, “With this challenge, we are seeking the public’s innovative approaches to waste management on the Moon and aim to take lessons learned back to Earth for the benefit of all.”

Project tracks. NASA details that the challenge consists of two tracks: “The Prototype Build Track focuses on designing and developing hardware components and systems for recycling one or more solid waste streams on the lunar surface. The Digital Twin Track focuses on designing a virtual replica of a complete system for recycling solid waste streams on the lunar surface and manufacturing end products.”

Applications and more. If you have an innovative idea, you can register for the contest using this link. Participants can enter one or both tracks of the competition, with prize money split between the two NASA programs.

The agency emphasizes that this challenge could be crucial in solving issues related to long-duration space travel, advanced manufacturing, and habitat technology. “We are very excited to see what solutions our global competitors generate, and we are eager for this challenge to serve as a positive catalyst for bringing the agency, and humanity, closer to exploring worlds beyond our own,” NASA concludes.

Images | NASA

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