NASA opens up Lunar Loo challenge for human waste management in space

The challenge, in partnership with HeroX, is a part of NASA’s Artemis mission, which plans to take the first woman and the next men to the moon by 2024.

NASA, Lunar Loo challenge, NASA challenge, Lunar toilet, Lunar toilets, Toilets for space, Toilets fro astronauts, NASA lunar lander, Artemis mission, US, Trending news, Indian Express news

The challenge, in partnership with HeroX, is a part of NASA’s Artemis mission, which plans to take the first woman and the next men to the moon by 2024. (Picture credit: nasa.gov)

NASA on Thursday launched a Lunar Loo challenge in an attempt to attract innovative solutions to solve the problem of human waste management in space.

Participants stand to win a cash prize of $35,000, which will be divided among the top three teams submitting the model of a toilet which will work not just in microgravity, but also lunar gravity.

Just launched: the Lunar Loo Challenges! Be a part of history by designing the toilet astronauts will use during future missions on the moon & Mars. Learn how NASA is #crowdsourcing human waste disposal concepts & how you or your kids can get involved: https://t.co/o15GxUMVM9 pic.twitter.com/wI7Gae2PwY

— HeroX (@Iamherox) June 25, 2020

The challenge, in partnership with HeroX, is a part of NASA’s Artemis mission, which plans to take the first woman and the next men to the moon by 2024.

Although space toilets already exist, the US space agency is looking for a more compact, efficient and most importantly something that works in space and in the moon’s gravity, which is about a sixth of that on the Earth’s surface.