Washington DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is looking for people to help design and innovate space toilet concepts as part of its Lunar Loo Challenge. NASA is giving away $35,000 in total prizes to the winner of the challenge.
NASA is calling on the global community for their novel design concepts for compact toilets that can operate in both microgravity and lunar gravity.
As NASA prepares for it return to the Moon, innumerable activities to equip, shelter, and otherwise support future astronauts are underway. These astronauts will be eating and drinking, and subsequently urinating and defecating in microgravity and lunar gravity. While astronauts are in the cabin and out of their spacesuits, they will need a toilet that has all the same capabilities as ones here on Earth.
These designs may be adapted for use in the Artemis lunar landers that take us back to the Moon. Although space toilets already exist and are in use (at the International Space Station, for example), they are designed for microgravity only. NASA’s Human Landing System Program is looking for a next-generation device that is smaller, more efficient, and capable of working in both microgravity and lunar gravity.
The challenge includes a Technical category and Junior category. NASA is giving away $35,000 in total prizes to the winner of the Technical category. The Junior category winner will receive public recognition from NASA and from HeroX, a winner’s certificate, and an item of official NASA-logoed merchandise.
