Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by on Thursday February 16 2017, @12:24PM   Printer-friendly
from the another-in-our-ongoing-instructional-series dept.

NASA has a problem with #1 and #2 in space. What to do? Crowdsource it, in the form of a contest where anyone can submit a superior method. The contest just ended with NASA awarding $30,000 to the winning entries.

NASA astronauts' current method of waste disposal involves using a diaper during spacewalks and launch and entry, but these systems can be used only for about a day. The agency noted that it is difficult to design pooping systems for microgravity, where fluids and other things float. Maintaining good hygiene for these systems was among the primary challenges participants were tasked with solving.

In a description of the challenge, NASA said it was looking for technologies that have a "technical readiness level of 4" on its "ready for flight" scale, meaning that the solution could be tested in one year and be ready for space in three years. NASA added that it would consider solutions that would need more time if they were considered breakthroughs.

The goal is to use the system on a mission in the next three or four years, the challenge page said.

An earlier article about the problem: http://www.space.com/35576-space-poop-system-orion-deep-space.html.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by charon on Thursday February 16 2017, @07:37PM

    by charon (5660) on Thursday February 16 2017, @07:37PM (#467923) Journal
    The cool part about this website, and the internet in general, is the hyperlinks which take you to other pages which have more information. Pro-tip: look for the words that have an underline and click your left mouse button while the cursor is on them.
  • (Score: 2) by deadstick on Thursday February 16 2017, @10:37PM

    by deadstick (5110) on Thursday February 16 2017, @10:37PM (#467996)

    You must be a witch.

  • (Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Friday February 17 2017, @09:50PM

    by Scruffy Beard 2 (6030) on Friday February 17 2017, @09:50PM (#468361)

    From TFA:

    The winner of the $15,000 Space Poop Challenge prize was Thatcher
          Cardon, for a solution called "MACES Perineal Access & Toileting System
          (M-PATS)." Details on the system were not immediately available.
    ...
    The second-place prize of $10,000 was awarded to a system dubbed "Space
          Poop Unification of Doctors (SPUDs) Team – Air-powered," by Katherine
          Kin, Stacey Marie Louie and Tony Gonzales. The $5,000 third-place prize
          went to Hugo Shelley's "Spacesuit Waste Disposal System."

    I found no hyperlinks actually describing the winning systems.

    • (Score: 1) by charon on Friday February 17 2017, @10:38PM

      by charon (5660) on Friday February 17 2017, @10:38PM (#468385) Journal
      May I ask, with all due respect, what you suggest I might have done to find the information you wish to know? Filed a FOIA request with NASA to obtain schematics of the winning entries? Called each winner to ask them to share their idea with me? Bonus points for explaining why I should do it instead of you, since you are the curious party.
      • (Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Friday February 17 2017, @10:55PM

        by Scruffy Beard 2 (6030) on Friday February 17 2017, @10:55PM (#468391)

        May I ask, with all due respect, what you suggest I might have done to find the information you wish to know?

        Umm, nothing?

        AC (not me) said:

        This is a remarkably contentless article...

        I was pointing out that your "learn 2 Internet!" response was less than helpful.