NASA Launches $3 Million Competition to Tackle Space Waste

In an ambitious move to address the growing issue of space waste, NASA has unveiled a $3 million prize challenge aimed at innovators who can devise sustainable solutions for managing waste on the Moon and in deep space habitats. As humanity's presence in space expands, the management of debris created by missions has become a critical concern.

Historically, the remnants of human activity can be seen at the Apollo landing sites on the Moon, where equipment and trash were forgotten in the rush to return valuable lunar samples back to Earth. Unlike the protocols in place on the International Space Station (ISS), where crew members can send waste back to Earth or incinerate it in expendable vessels, long-term missions to the Moon and beyond pose unique challenges. Simply putting trash in craters or implementing temporary landfills is not a feasible or sustainable solution.

NASA's competition specifically seeks innovative ways to process inorganic waste, which includes a variety of materials such as food packaging, clothing, and excess materials from experiments. The agency is moving beyond focusing solely on reducing waste volume and mass; the new challenge emphasizes recycling and reusing waste through inventive methods.

Competition Tracks

The competition features two tracks:

1. Prototype Build Track