Artemis astronauts exploring the Moon will use the most advanced space systems of the 21stcentury including some of the most basic home comforts, like a toilet.NASA is calling on the global community to helpinnovate space toilet conceptsthrough theLunar Loo Challenge.

The evolution of the space toilet began with the space shuttle, so astronauts living aboardthe International Space Stationuse a toiletdesigned for long-duration missions in microgravity.Astronauts exploring on the Moon, however,will needa smaller,lighter,simpler toilet inside theirlunar lander, becauseevery ounce ofmasson the landeriscarefully allocated.For every kilogram(2.2 pounds)of mass,10 kilograms(22 pounds)of propellant is neededto descend to the lunar surface and launch back to lunar orbit.

The Lunar LooChallenge seeks novel design concepts forlow-mass,compact toilets that canreduce the current state-of-the art toilet mass bymore than half from54 kg to 31 kg andreduce the volume by 70%from 0.17 cubic meters to 0.12 cubic meters.For comparison, the standard toilet you might have in your house weighs 30-60 kg, but the complexity of operating in reduced gravity environments requiresmore components for a space toilet.

Our astronauts accomplish amazing feats of science and space exploration. But at the end of the day, theyre still human. We need to provide them with the same necessitiesashere on Earth so they can continue to do their job, said MikeInterbartolo,manager for the Lunar Loo Challengeout ofNASAsHuman Landing System(HLS) Crew Compartment Office at NASAs Johnson Space Centerin Houston.

Lunar toilet design conceptsmustallow astronauts to urinate and defecate in bothlunar gravityand microgravity.Gravity on the Moon is approximately one sixth of Earths gravity.Microgravity is what is generally considered zero-g and is experienced as weightlessness.

The Technical Prize is open to anyone age 18 or older participating as an individual or as a team.TheJunior Challenge is open to anyone under the age of 18, participating as an individual or as a team.Entrants12 years old or younger will need to have a parent or guardian registertosubmit ontheir behalf.

Submissions will be evaluated based on proposed capabilities, technical maturity, safety, and overall innovation. The Lunar Loo Challenge has a total prize purse of $35,000 that will be shared among the top three designs. The top three participants in the junior category will each receive public recognition andan item of official NASA merchandise.

Getting back to the Moon by 2024 is an ambitious goal and NASA is already working on approaches toimproveexisting space toilets. The agency is also aware of the value in inviting ideas from the general public, knowing that theyapproachproblemswith a mindset different from traditional aerospace engineering.

The global community of innovators provides valuable insight and expertise we might not have in-house, said Steve Rader, deputy manager of the NASA Tournament Lab (NTL). Challenges like this allow us to tap into that creative thinking and find unknown or undeveloped solutions.

For more information about the challenge, and how to enter, visit:

https://www.herox.com/LunarLoo

NTL, part oftheagencysPrizes and Challenges programwithin the Space Technology Mission Directorate, supports the use of public competitions and crowdsourcing as tools to advance NASA research and development and other mission needs.

Learn more about opportunities to participate in your space program through NASA prizes and challenges, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/solve

Artemisincludes sending a suite of new science instruments and technology demonstrations to study the Moon, landing the first woman and next man on the lunar surface by 2024, and establishing a sustained presence bythe end of the decade. The agency will leverage its Artemis experience and technologies to prepare for the next giant leap sending astronauts to Mars.

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Help NASA Design a Toilet for Artemis Astronauts on the Moon - HamletHub