NASA's Lunar Loo Challenge seeks designs for flushing on the moon

Do you think you can help NASA fix the space toilet? Here is a chance for you.

NASA is seeking new designs for a toilet that will work both in microgravity and lunar gravity and offering a chance for people to win $35,000.

NASA's Lunar Loo Challenge invites the ‘global community’ that will approach the problem of ‘human waste capture and containment’ with a mindset different from traditional aerospace engineering.

The existing space toilets which are in use are designed for microgravity only.

The toilet at the International Space Station, which was installed in the 1990s, has become difficult to use and has resulted in messes and unpleasant odours, according to a Washington Post report.

A new toilet called Universal Waste Management System is scheduled for installation this year, the report added. However, it is only designed for the microgravity of space and not the lunar gravity of the moon.

Before getting back to the Moon by 2024, NASA is working on approaches to miniaturize and streamline the existing toilets.

Therefore, for the upcoming Artemis mission, NASA is looking for a “next-generation device that is smaller, more efficient, and capable of working in both microgravity and lunar gravity.”

The deadline for teams to submit their plans for the lunar loo is August 17. The prize purse of $35,000 will be disbursed among the teams that submit the top three designs.

Under the junior category, children below the age of 18 can also participate in the contest. They will receive NASA merchandise.

Winners in the adult category will be announced on September 30, and the junior category on October 20.