LunaRecycle Challenge: Nasa offers ₹25 crore to solve human waste in space

Nasa is offering a ₹25 crore prize to anyone who can help solve a surprisingly basic problem in outer space-the challenge of managing human waste

Nasa has launched the LunaRecycle Challenge, a global competition inviting innovators to design a system that can recycle faeces, urine, and even vomit in space. The goal is to find a sustainable solution that can support future human missions to the Moon and beyond.

 

96 bags of human waste still lie on the Moon

 

It may come as a surprise, but there are currently 96 bags of human waste on the Moon, left behind during the Apollo missions decades ago. Nasa is now determined not to add to that pile during future missions.

 

With space agencies planning longer stays on the Moon and beyond, waste management has become a top priority. Nasa is seeking technology that can reduce, recycle, or repurpose astronaut waste without the need to bring it back to Earth.

 

In a statement on its website, the space agency said:

 

“Nasa is committed to sustainable space exploration. As we prepare for future human space missions, there will be a need to consider how various waste streams, including solid waste, can be minimised, as well as how waste can be stored, processed, and recycled in a space environment so that little or no waste will need to be returned to Earth.”

 

Solving the waste challenge could benefit Earth too

 

The challenge isn’t just about keeping space clean. Nasa believes the solutions developed through this competition could also have applications on Earth—particularly in areas where waste management infrastructure is lacking.

 

From developing new recycling technologies and safer ways to handle hazardous material, to creating compact systems that could serve rural or remote areas, the potential benefits are wide-ranging.

 

Competition currently in review stage

 

The first phase of the LunaRecycle Challenge closed on 31 March 2025, and Nasa is now reviewing the submissions. Once the most promising ideas are selected, winners will share a ₹25 crore prize pool.

 

It may be an unusual challenge, but it’s one that could shape the future of sustainable space travel—and possibly revolutionise the way we deal with waste on Earth.