NASA's recycling ambitions on the Moon

Artemis program

Artemis program, 1969 Moon landing, Discarded items, Offloading weight, Grand plans, Economic benefits, Cheaper to recycle, The brief, No Apollo materials to be used, Other solid materials, Crashed satellites, Lunar dust, Progress already made, 98% efficient, Other closed loops, Exciting challenge

In 2025, NASA’s Artemis program plans to return humans to the Moon. More than 50 years on from the first Moon landing, things are set to look quite different this time around.

1969 Moon landing

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When the astronauts from Project Apollo landed on the Moon for the first time ever, it was a momentous occasion for science and, indeed, mankind.

Discarded items

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However, it was not a sustainable endeavor. In fact, there is a laundry list of items that the astronauts simply discarded on the lunar surface before leaving.

Offloading weight

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From bags of urine to family photos, the Apollo team left behind whatever they could. They needed to make themselves as light as possible for the journey home.

Context

Artemis program, 1969 Moon landing, Discarded items, Offloading weight, Grand plans, Economic benefits, Cheaper to recycle, The brief, No Apollo materials to be used, Other solid materials, Crashed satellites, Lunar dust, Progress already made, 98% efficient, Other closed loops, Exciting challenge

No one would blame them, of course. The 1969 Moon landing is up there with the greatest achievements of mankind, and in the 1960s recycling was not much of a topic.

Grand plans

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The astronauts will need to build a place for themselves to live. The plan is to build as much of it as possible from recycled materials.

Economic benefits

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However, it is worth pointing out the economic benefit. The first thing to understand is that flying anything from the Earth to the Moon is very expensive.

Cheaper to recycle

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Therefore, there is a clear economic benefit to astronauts recycling as many materials as they can once they land on the Moon.

The brief

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Entrants have been asked to come up with innovative ways to recycle materials, such as bubble wrap or fabric, that astronauts can use to build their home on the Moon.

No Apollo materials to be used

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NASA’s aim is not to use materials left behind by the Apollo team. Indeed, these are now considered valuable historical artifacts.

Other solid materials

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However, there are plenty of other solid materials that have been left behind on the Moon that are not, perhaps, quite so valuable.

Crashed satellites

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For example, there are several crashed lunar satellites currently on the Moon that could be stripped for parts and used as construction materials.

Lunar dust

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On the other hand, the dust on the Moon (sometimes referred to as "lunar dust") gets in the way of moving machinery, and is a general nuisance.

Progress already made

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The current challenge focuses on the recycling of non-toxic materials. However, it is worth noting that when it comes to other types of lunar recycling, a lot of progress has already been made.

98% efficient

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This means that almost all the liquid waste produced by the astronauts, including their urine, sweat, and moisture from their breath, is recycled back into drinking water.

Other closed loops

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On Earth, we already use this sort of biological recycling in farming, where we often use animal or human waste to fertilize crops.

Exciting challenge

Artemis program, 1969 Moon landing, Discarded items, Offloading weight, Grand plans, Economic benefits, Cheaper to recycle, The brief, No Apollo materials to be used, Other solid materials, Crashed satellites, Lunar dust, Progress already made, 98% efficient, Other closed loops, Exciting challenge

The scientists at NASA are very excited about the LunaRecycle challenge and all the ideas for lunar sustainability that people will undoubtedly impress them with.

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