NASA has recently announced their intention to use a newly developed “Poop Suit” when the Orion spacecraft carries a crew into space sometime in. The agency recently ran a completion where competitors were required to design an in-suit waste disposal system, with the winner getting a $30,000 cash reward.
In order to qualify for the prize, the system had to be suitable for both genders, and be capable of flushing away 6 days worth of bodily waste fluids, including urine, feces, and menstrual fluids. The suit also had to make use of micro-gravity in order for the waste to float.
Traditionally, astronauts have used an in-suit system known as a diaper, and according to NASA, these will still be used during stages where astronauts are only expected to be in pressurized suits for a short duration of time. The new system will be reserved for when crew members need to be in pressurized suits much longer.
https://www.rt.com/usa/376759-nasa-poop-challenge-orion/
and for the original challenge, see https://www.nasa.gov/feature/space-poop-challenge
Leave a Reply