NASA awards $200,000 to turn astronaut poo into food

[Devil Soul]

Nasa awards $200,000 grant to a research project aimed at turning astronaut poo into food
As Nasa talks more about the growing possibility of a manned mission to Mars and beyond, the challenges of feeding astronauts in missions that last months or even years become more and more pressing.

The space agency is attempting to find a solution to this problem, in awarding a $200,000 (£127,600) a year grant to a project aimed at creating a 'closed loop' system on a spacecraft - one that could use astronauts' waste into food, fertiliser, supplements or other useful materials for a long space flight.

The project that won the grant is called 'Synthetic Biology for Recycling Human Waste into Food, Nutraceuticals, and Materials: Closing the Loop for Long-Term Space Travel', and is led by Mark Blenner of Clemson University, South Carolina.

It will receive up to $200,000 a year for a maximum of three years, as Nasa tries to solve the problem of feeding humans for months in a cramped and inhospitable spacecraft.


The issue of how to deal with space waste has long been a problem for Nasa, particularly when it comes to disposal, hygiene, and the sheer practicalities of going to the toilet in zero gravity.

For the Soviet Union, frozen urine that was vented into space from the Mir space station's toilet was hitting the station's solar panels and damaging them.

By 'closing the loop', spacecraft will be able to become much more self-sufficient, and ultimately will become more capable of taking long journeys, to Mars and even further.

Nasa awards $200,000 grant to a research project aimed at turning astronaut poo into food - Science - News - The Independent

 

[kaonalpha]

Well now i can officially call NASA Shit eaters

 

[Oracle]

Human Centipede

 

[Stealth | Hawk]

I am thinking if this could really become a possibility India would become the greatest Super power and economy since they have the world largest population and toilet shortage they can start poop export and whats better than American astronauts using --aham aham-- their poop as food

This was a joke take it lightly plz

 

[RazorMC]

There has to be a red-line over what humans eat, regardless of where they are.

 

[VCheng]

By 'closing the loop', spacecraft will be able to become much more self-sufficient, and ultimately will become more capable of taking long journeys, to Mars and even further.

Developing such closed-loop technologies are vital for long distance space travel. Converting fecal waste into fertilizers will probably be one avenue explored, since some form of plant growth to produce food and purify air would be a necessity, while recovery of water and metabolites from urine would be important too.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Next time you grab of choclate chip cookies , be very careful about the source of the chocolate chip

If the box has picture of space travel

The way NASA is approaching the problem is all wrong , back in 60's NASA was bright company AMBITIOUS
Just like in 1900's America was ambitious


The problem space travel today has is lack of space to put the supplies in a spaceship due to small shitty cabins.


Solution: Assemble Giant Ships in Space , with Engines and rocket imagined to this date running on nuclear power

1. Need 3 Farming ships created in space - size 200 Meter x 40 Meters
   2 . Need 2 Waste Processing ships to process human waste / and create fertilizer and water extraction
   3 . Need 1 Human Travel Space Ship , contains rooms , cafeteria , garden , Cinema talk large size 300 meter x 300 meter
   4 . Supply Spaceship , would get goods launched up in space via Space Elevator

These ships would not re-enter earth , they would instead send in "modules capsules" to earth . These ships would be permanently stations in space

Can be easily grown in space

If NASA thinks that they will put humans in little dinky 10 x 10 feet cabins and then force them to eat their own feces , humans won't go beyond 6 days in space

The approach has to change .....

Big Ambition and BIG VISION is needed , you need 6-7 Large ships performing different tasks in Space to provide a reasonable habitat for Humans to live in Space

 

[Muhammad Omar]

They turned urine into Water some years ago and now poop into food

 

[simplestguy]

In coming years an astronaut would be called as "Shit eater"

 

[Maira La]

I am thinking if this could really become a possibility India would become the greatest Super power and economy since they have the world largest population and toilet shortage they can start poop export and whats better than American astronauts using --aham aham-- their poop as food

This was a joke take it lightly plz

Well it's always good to have multiple options, especially with limited items on the menu: American bland poop, curry flavored spicy poop, so on..

take it lightly plz..

 

[Goenitz]

we all eat what once was shit... so no big deal.. howver, i think the conversion rate in space ship would be rapid...

 

[unbiasedopinion]

I know how to convert food into poo..lol..not the other way around...