When you gotta go, you gotta go, even on the Moon…

Space is harsh and uncomfortable. That’s true for all human bodily functions. But maybe you’ve spent some time thinking about this problem and you have an idea for the perfect space toilet? It could win you $20,000 if it meets the following specifications:

General requirements

  • Easy to use
  • Odor control
  • Usable for at least 14 days
  • Usable for urine, feces, vomit, diarrhea, menses
  • Usable by female and male users between 58 to 77 inches tall and 107 to 290 lbs
  • Also usable by sick crew members, e.g., able to capture vomit without requiring the crew member to put his/her head in the toilet

Design requirements

  • Functional in microgravity and lunar gravity
  • Mass less than 15 kg in Earth’s gravity
  • Volume max. 0.12 cubic meters
  • Power consumption less than 70 W
  • Noise level less than 60 dB

Technical requirements

  • Simultaneous urination and defecation
  • 1 liter of urine per use, 6 uses per crew per day
  • 500 g of feces per use, 2 uses per crew per day
  • 500 g of diarrhea per event
  • 114 g of menses per crew per day
  • Can stow hygienic products such as toilet paper and gloves
  • After each use, clearing of remains from previous user, max. 5 min cleaning period
  • Ability to transfer the collected waste
  • In the event of system failures, the toilet safely stores all waste materials and does not expose the crew to vacuum

You can submit your ideas here; but hurry, the deadline for submissions is 17 August 2020.

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BrandonQMorris
  • BrandonQMorris
  • Brandon Q. Morris is a physicist and space specialist. He has long been concerned with space issues, both professionally and privately and while he wanted to become an astronaut, he had to stay on Earth for a variety of reasons. He is particularly fascinated by the “what if” and through his books he aims to share compelling hard science fiction stories that could actually happen, and someday may happen. Morris is the author of several best-selling science fiction novels, including The Enceladus Series.

    Brandon is a proud member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the Mars Society.