NASA sponsored a "Space Poop Challenge" on how to solve the problem of human waste in a spacesuit. "Yes, it sounds a little bit funny. But unmet toilet needs could have life or death consequences for an astronaut in an emergency situation." Thousands of people participated in the challenge to develop a solution for this particular problem. The total reward was $30,000 and the 1st place winner received $15,000.
Thatcher Cardon, an Air Force officer and a practicing doctor, won first place with his idea. He didn't want the waste to be stored inside the suit so he designed a small airlock at the crotch of the suit. Diapers and inflatable bedpans were included in this small opening allowing astronauts to remove it. The human waste could the be passed in and out of the suit. The second and third place winners both had similar ideas of having the waste stored in the spacesuit. They had to create an idea where the suit was comfortable for the astronaut for up to 6 days.
I think Cardon came up with a very creative solution to this problem. I knew there were challenges in space due to gravity, but I never thought about human waste being a problem for astronauts. Now astronauts can complete their missions without having to worry about pooping in their spacesuit!
Source:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/15/515261463/space-poop-problem-solvers-take-home-cash-prizes-from-nasa
This is really cool because it shows all the little things that astronauts have to think about when they're in space.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I had no idea this was a major issue for astronauts. I'm glad though that they were able to solve this in an efficient and effective way.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fairly big issue for astronauts, but to us it seems very odd and unimportant. At least they found a solution!
ReplyDeleteI did not know this was an issue for astronauts, it is good they came up with a solution. I wonder how Cardon came up with the idea.
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