It seems NASA is trying to revamp the toilets on spacecrafts as it’s offering $35,000 in prizes to anyone who can design a toilet that is usable on the moon. NASA plans to put men on the moon in 2024 and it is apparently trying to make bathroom breaks more fun on the mission.
The toilet that NASA needs should be able to work both in the microgravity of space and on the moon (lunar gravity). The gravity on the moon is about a sixth of what we feel on Earth.
The toilet should also be designed to conserve water and “help maintain a pristine environment inside the lander that is free of odors and other contaminants,” according to the design guidelines posted by NASA and HeroX.
“Bonus points will be awarded to designs that can capture vomit without requiring the crew member to put his/her head in the toilet,” the guidelines also stated.
To join the competition, click on this link.
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In addition, NASA wants the toilet to be easy to clean and maintain and have a turnaround time of five minutes or less between uses. The toilet must also use less than 70 watts of power and make less noise than the average bathroom fan.
Because of space in the spacecraft, the toilet must be less than 0.12 cubic meters in volume weigh less than 14kg on Earth. The toilet has to be capable of supporting a crew of two astronauts for 14 days. It must also allow the transfer of the collected waste to storage outside the spacecraft.
NASA will put a man and a woman on the Artemis Lunar Lander. This will be the first woman to land on the moon if the voyage succeeds. The toilet is just one of the many ways to make the gent and lady very comfortable on the trip.
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