More than 50 years after astronauts from NASA’s Apollo missions left behind 96 bags of human waste on the Moon, the agency is now seeking innovative solutions to turn that abandoned material into usable resources. NASA has launched the LunaRecycle Challenge, offering a $3 million prize to individuals or teams who can develop technologies that transform lunar waste—such as feces, urine, and vomit—into valuable assets like water, energy, or fertilizer.
Apollo missions left 96 waste bags—now up for recycling
Between 1969 and 1972, Apollo astronauts made six successful landings on the moon. In their missions, they retrieved rock samples and other scientific samples to return to Earth. Because of limited storage space on the lunar modules, astronauts dumped non-essential items—such as human waste—onto the moon’s surface. The waste was bagged and discarded before leaving.
Together, 96 bags of human waste are still on the Moon. They have been left untouched for more than a half-century. Whereas they were once considered throwaway detritus of exploration, they now pose a challenge and an opportunity for sustainable space resource management.
NASA highlights waste recycling as critical to Artemis Moon mission
As NASA’s Artemis mission is targeting a permanent human presence on the Moon in the near future, long-term waste management has risen to the top of the list. In space missions of longer duration, all resources need to be tightly managed, reused, or repurposed. It is not feasible to bring waste back to Earth, so the attention is now turning towards in-situ processing.
NASA underscored this in a public statement:
As we look toward future human space missions, there will be a requirement to determine how different streams of waste, such as solid waste, can be reduced—as well as how waste can be stored, treated, and recycled in a space environment so that minimal or no waste will need to be sent back to Earth.”
LunaRecycle Challenge aims to convert space waste into vital resources
The LunaRecycle Challenge is one component of NASA’s larger initiative to enable sustainable space exploration. Initiated as an open competition to scientists, engineers, and innovators globally, the challenge invites innovation of technologies that can handle not only past waste from the Apollo missions but also new solid waste anticipated to be produced during future missions.
The primary goals of the challenge are:
- Turning trash into valuable resources like water, nutrients, energy, or soil conditioner
- Minimising environmental and biological hazards related to waste in enclosed spaces
- Creating systems that are efficient in energy usage, compact, and able to function in lunar environments
- Enabling closed-loop systems necessary for autonomous space habitats
Space waste solutions: How NASA’s challenge could improve life on Earth
While the primary focus is lunar sustainability, NASA also recognizes the potential terrestrial benefits of this challenge. Innovative waste processing systems developed for the Moon could be adapted for use in rural, remote, or disaster-affected areas on Earth, where conventional waste infrastructure is limited.
According to NASA, these new technologies could:
- Improve recycling efficiency
- Reduce the release of harmful byproducts
- Enable smaller-scale, deployable solutions for community-level waste management
This dual-use capability illustrates the way space research tends to result in innovations that can improve life on Earth.
$3 million prize awaits winner of NASA’s global lunar waste recycling contest
The LunaRecycle Challenge officially closed its call for submissions on March 31, 2025. It is currently in the judging phase. A panel of judges is examining submissions from across the globe to determine the most viable and feasible concepts.
After the review process is over, NASA will shortlist a few proposals for further development. The best-performing team will receive a $3 million grand prize (around £2.4 million), with the possibility of future collaboration or deployment in future lunar missions.
LunaRecycle challenge: NASA’s steps toward resource recycling in space habitats
NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge is a paradigm shift in the way human space missions are addressing sustainability. Instead of viewing waste as a byproduct to be eliminated, the emphasis is on making it a resource that sustains life and minimizes dependence on Earth.
As humans seek to make the Moon—and eventually Mars—a home for the long haul, closed-loop life-support systems that recycle everything from astronaut waste to packaging materials will be critical. By addressing this challenge today, NASA is helping to set the foundation for effective life-support in space, as well as innovation in terrestrial waste recycling.
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