NASA Needs A Toilet That Works In Microgravity And Lunar Gravity NASA's Lunar Loo Challenge asks the public to design a toilet to be used when astronauts go back to the moon… NASA will be discussing what will happen with their designs during our webinar today. We understand everyone is eagerly awaiting the results so we appreciate your patience! Quality of the explanation and supporting evidence for why a solution is designated at a particular maturity level. NASA is calling on the global community for novel design concepts for compact toilets that can operate in both microgravity and lunar gravity. In order to respect any intellectual property contained within the winning submissions, we will not be releasing them to the public. Help sustain America’s reservoirs. No specific qualifications or expertise in the field of waste management  is required. The design will need to be compact, operate in both microgravity and lunar gravity. by Microgravity is what is generally considered “zero-g” and is experienced as weightlessness. Character limits include spaces. Three different welding processes were tested using a hardware unit called Vulkan. Copyright © 2020 NPR. The discussion will be moderated by HeroX's Kal Sahota and include panelists: Save your virtual seat at the webinar by registering here. Tell us a little about your background. These designs may be adapted for use in the Artemis lunar landers that take humanity back to the Moon… Function in both microgravity and lunar gravity, Have a mass of less than 15 Kg in Earth’s gravity, Operate with a noise level less than 60 decibels (no louder than an average bathroom fan), Accommodate users ranging from 58 to 77 inches tall and 107 to 290 lbs in weight, Accommodate simultaneous urination and defecation, Collect up to 1 liter of urine per use, with an average of 6 uses per crew per day, Accommodate 500g of fecal matter per defecation, with an average of 2 uses per crew per day, Accommodate an average of 114g of female menses, per crew per day, Stabilize urine to avoid the generation of gas and particulates, Accommodate crew use of toilet hygiene products, like toilet paper, wipes, and gloves, Be clear of previous user’s urine and feces in preparation for the next use, Allow for transfer of collected waste to storage  and/or provide for external vehicle disposal. Following much discussion and deliberation, here are the submissions that will be awarded the cash prizes: NASA wanted to highlight a couple of honorable mentions as well: Congratulations to the winners! Microgravity is when there's weightlessness in space, and NASA's toilet tech has taken care of that problem already. Compatible for use by both female and male crew members. With plans to visit the Moon … Register now for the Lunar Loo Challenge - Technical Category Winner Webinar! Although the preferred method for capturing vomit will be emesis bags (“throw up” bags), bonus points will be awarded to designs that can capture vomit without requiring the crew member to put his/her head in the toilet. If submitting as a team, please list the full name and email address of each team member. Participants must be at least 18 years old. After multiple rounds of rigorous judging, we are excited to share the winners of the Lunar Loo Challenge - Technical Category! Their team is great to work with, we've had the pleasure of hosting webinars and other joint initiatives. NASA's Lunar Loo Challenge asks the public to design a … The head of the Lunar Loo Challenge told The Verge it was messy. To be ready for deployment in 2024, the timelines for development and integration work are quite tight. Lunar gravity is approximately one sixth of Earth’s gravity, so urine and feces will fall down. Additionally, toilet designs should conserve water and help maintain a pristine environment inside the lander that is free of odors and other contaminants. Based on the winning criteria, prizes will be awarded per the weighted Judging Criteria section above. Microgravity is what is generally considered “zero-g” and is experienced as weightlessness. Innovators who are awarded a prize for their submission must agree to grant NASA a royalty free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, world-wide license in all Intellectual Property demonstrated by the winning/awarded submissions. (pdf, doc, docx). Support NASA's efforts to explore the solar system. We’re looking for ways to remove sedimentation that regularly accumulates in reservoirs. NASA is calling on the global community for their novel design concepts for compact toilets that can operate in both microgravity and lunar gravity.