NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

April 10, 2025

38 Hours with the M81 Group

From a garden on planet Earth, 38 hours of exposure with a camera and small telescope produced this cosmic photo of the M81 galaxy group. In fact, the group's dominant galaxy M81 is near the center of the frame sporting grand spiral arms and a bright yellow core. Also known as Bode's galaxy, M81 itself spans some 100,000 light-years. Near the top is cigar-shaped irregular galaxy M82. The pair have been locked in gravitational combat for a billion years. Gravity from each galaxy has profoundly affected the other during a series of cosmic close encounters. Their last go-round lasted about 100 million years and likely raised density waves rippling around M81, resulting in massive star forming regions arrayed along M81's spiral arms. M82 was left with violent star forming regions too, and colliding gas clouds so energetic that the galaxy glows in X-rays. In the next few billion years, their continuing gravitational encounters will result in a merger, and a single galaxy will remain. Another group member, NGC 3077 is below and left of the large spiral M81. Far far away, about 12 million light-years distant the M81 group galaxies are seen toward the northern constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). But in the closer foreground the wide-field image is filled with integrated flux nebulae whose faint, dusty interstellar clouds reflect starlight above the plane of our own Milky Way galaxy

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Russia cosmonaut wanted in Ukraine for ‘high treason’ is hiding on the International Space Station with NASA

14:22 10 Apr 2025 GMT+1

An astronaut donning Russian colors has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars for 'high treason' in Ukraine.

Alexey Zubritsky is currently hiding on board the International Space Station (ISS) for crimes against Ukraine as war rages on in Eastern Europe, which began when Russia invaded its southern neighbor in February 2022.

Alexey Zubritsky's space mission

NASA astronaut Johnny Kim arrived at the ISS alongside the 32-year-old and his fellow cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov on Tuesday (April 8), with the trio set to inhibit the satellite for the next eight months to carry out technology demonstrations, while also conducting scientific experiments.

They launched from a facility in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz-2a rocket, and it is hoped that their work will better prepare crews onboard future trips, as well as benefiting us Earth dwellers.

The three will be joining NASA's Anne McClain, Don Pettit and Nichole Ayers, as well as Russian cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s astronaut Takuya Onishi also onboard.

Why Zubritsky is wanted in Ukraine

Well, it's because he's Ukrainian. More specifically, he was captured by Russian forces and joined 'the enemy'.

Formerly a pilot, Zubritsky flew an attack aircraft for Ukraine in the in 2013 in the aviation unit 204th Sevastopol Brigade, but a year into the war between his nation and his newly-adopted country, he switched allegiance.

Zubritsky was in Crimea when Vladimir Putin's Russia invaded the region, seizing it in the process, before posting the Ukrainian in bases in Rostov and Krasnodar regions of his home country.

Keen to not fight patriots from his own nation, he began training to be a cosmonaut.

What are Ukraine and Russia saying about Zubritsky?

If Zubritsky ever decides to return 'home', Ukrainian authorities will prosecute him.

The Ukrainian prosecutor said: "Having committed high treason and desertion, he joined the armed forces of the Russian Federation, where he is still serving, in particular, as a test cosmonaut, [and] flight engineer of the ISS-72/73 crew [currently onboard the ISS]."

Russian news outlet Shot, which supports the Kremlin, has congratulated the former Ukrainian for donning Russian colors and subsequently blasting off into space on behalf of the nation.

“Russians have exceptional respect for Alexey, are happy for his career and send greetings to the ISS," it wrote.

Meanwhile, the ISS's latest NASA recruit, Jonny Kim, of Los Angeles, is joining the team as a former Navy lieutenant commander and dual-designated naval aviator and flight surgeon.

https://www.unilad.com/technology/space/russia-astronaut-wanted-ukraine-deserting-war-024111-20250410

NASA Offers Free High School Engineering Program This Summer

Apr 10, 2025

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is launching the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute this summer.

The free, work-based learning experience is designed to help high school students prepare for a future in the aerospace workforce.

Rising high school juniors and seniors in Northeast Ohio can submit applications for this new, in-person summer program from Friday, April 11, through Friday, May 9.

The NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute will immerse students in NASA’s work while providing essential career readiness tools to help them in future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused academic and professional pursuits.

Throughout the five-day institute, students will use authentic NASA mission content and work alongside Glenn’s technical experts to gain a deeper understanding of the engineering design process, develop practical engineering solutions to real-world challenges, and test prototypes to answer questions in key mission areas:

Acoustic dampening – How can we reduce noise pollution from jet engines?

Power management and distribution – How can we develop a smart power system for future space stations?

Simulated lunar operations – Can we invent tires that don’t use air?

Program Dates

Selected students will participate in one of the following week-long sessions.

Session 1: July 7 – 11, 2025

Session 2: July 14 – 18, 2025

Session 3: July 21 – 25, 2025

Eligibility and Application Requirements

To be eligible for this program, students must:

Be entering 11th or 12th grade for the 2025-2026 academic year

Have a minimum 3.2 GPA, verified by their school counselor

Submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher

Additional application requirements are outlined in the Supplemental Application.

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-offers-free-high-school-engineering-program-this-summer/

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/nasa-glenn-high-school-engineering-institute-supplemental-application-508.pdf?emrc=67f7cd2d3268a

NASA’s Juno Back to Normal Operations After Entering Safe Mode

Apr 09, 2025

The spacecraft was making its 71st close approach to Jupiter when it unexpectedly entered into a precautionary status.

Data received from NASA’s Juno mission indicates the solar-powered spacecraft went into safe mode twice on April 4 while the spacecraft was flying by Jupiter.

Safe mode is a precautionary status that a spacecraft enters when it detects an anomaly. Nonessential functions are suspended, and the spacecraft focuses on essential tasks like communication and power management.

Upon entering safe mode, Juno’s science instruments were powered down, as designed, for the remainder of the flyby.

The mission operations team has reestablished high-rate data transmission with Juno, and the spacecraft is currently conducting flight software diagnostics.

The team will work in the ensuing days to transmit the engineering and science data collected before and after the safe-mode events to Earth.

Juno first entered safe mode at 5:17 a.m. EDT, about an hour before its 71st close passage of Jupiter — called perijove. It went into safe mode again 45 minutes after perijove.

During both safe-mode events, the spacecraft performed exactly as designed, rebooting its computer, turning off nonessential functions, and pointing its antenna toward Earth for communication.

Of all the planets in our solar system, Jupiter is home to the most hostile environment, with the radiation belts closest to the planet being the most intense.

Early indications suggest the two Perijove 71 safe-mode events occurred as the spacecraft flew through these belts.

To block high-energy particles from impacting sensitive electronics and mitigate the harmful effects of the radiation, Juno features a titanium radiation vault.

Including the Perijove 71 events, Juno has unexpectedly entered spacecraft-induced safe mode four times since arriving at Jupiter in July 2016: first, in 2016 during its second orbit, then in 2022 during its 39th orbit.

In all four cases, the spacecraft performed as expected and recovered full capability. Juno’s next perijove will occur on May 7 and include a flyby of the Jovian moon Io at a distance of about 55,300 miles (89,000 kilometers).

https://science.nasa.gov/missions/juno/nasas-juno-back-to-normal-operations-after-entering-safe-mode/

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno/

Cardiovascular Research Underway as New Crew Gets Used to Station Life

April 9, 2025

Ten residents are living aboard the International Space Station today following the arrival of a NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts on Tuesday.

The new Expedition 72 crewmates are beginning an eight-month research mission in low Earth orbit and getting used to life in microgravity.

New station flight engineers Jonny Kim of NASA and Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, both from Roscosmos, are in their second day aboard the orbital outpost.

They arrived aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft docking to the Prichal module at 4:57 a.m. EDT on Tuesday after a three-hour, ten-minute trip that began with a lift off from Kazakhstan.

The new trio will spend the next several days getting up to speed with space station systems, orbital safety procedures, and living and working in weightlessness.

On Wednesday, they joined the other seven orbiting crew members and reviewed roles and responsibilities in the unlikely event of an emergency such as a fire or pressure and chemical leaks.

Kim, on his first spaceflight, also got to work checking life support gear and servicing spacesuit batteries.

Ryzhikov, a veteran cosmonaut on his third station mission, and first-time space flyer Zubritsky partnered together wearing sensors measuring how blood flows from the head to the limbs and back.

Scientists will use the data to understand how living long-term in microgravity affects the cardiovascular system and protect crews living in space.

The other space station residents kept up ongoing advanced space research and lab maintenance.

Flight Engineers Don Pettit, Anne McClain, and Nichole Ayers, all three from NASA, and Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) took turns on Wednesday for scanning each other’s neck, shoulder, and leg veins using the Ultrasound 2 device.

McClain also trained to use virtual reality gear while Onishi tested the operations of a free-flying, spherical robot camera.

Ayers wore electrodes for another experiment monitoring how blood flows from the brain to the heart. Pettit loaded items for stowage inside a decommissioned life support rack.

Station Commander Alexey Ovchinin and Flight Engineers Ivan Vagner and Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos trained to use the lower body negative pressure suit that may prevent space-caused head and pressure.

The specialized suit may also help crews quickly readjust to Earth’s gravity after living in space for months or years at a time. Ovchinin also participated in the circulatory system study with Ryzhikov and Zubritsky.

Vagner explored how spaceflight affects fungus cell cultures for a Roscosmos biotechnology experiment. Kirill focused on life support maintenance collecting drinking water samples for analysis.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/09/cardiovascular-research-underway-as-new-crew-gets-used-to-station-life/

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/nasas-spacex-32nd-resupply-mission-launches-new-research-to-station/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4841piONzVk

NASA’s SpaceX 32nd Resupply Mission Launches New Research to Station

Apr 10, 2025

NASA and SpaceX are launching the company’s 32nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station later this month, bringing a host of new research to the orbiting laboratory.

Aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are experiments focused on vision-based navigation, spacecraft air quality, materials for drug and product manufacturing, and advancing plant growth with less reliance on photosynthesis.

This and other research conducted aboard the space station advances future space exploration, including missions to the Moon and Mars, and provides many benefits to humanity.

Investigations traveling to the space station include:

Robotic spacecraft guidance

Smartphone Video Guidance Sensor-2 (SVGS-2) uses the space station’s Astrobee robots to demonstrate using a vision-based sensor developed by NASA to control a formation flight of small satellites.

Based on a previous in-space demonstration of the technology, this investigation is designed to refine the maneuvers of multiple robots and integrate the information with spacecraft systems.

Potential benefits of this technology include improved accuracy and reliability of systems for guidance, navigation, and control that could be applied to docking crewed spacecraft in orbit and remotely operating multiple robots on the lunar or Martian surface.

Protection from particles

During spaceflight, especially long-duration missions, concentrations of airborne particles must be kept within ranges safe for crew health and hardware performance.

The Aerosol Monitors investigation tests three different air quality monitors in space to determine which is best suited to protect crew health and ensure mission success.

The investigation also tests a device for distinguishing between smoke and dust. Aboard the space station, the presence of dust can cause false smoke alarms that require crew member response.

Reducing false alarms could save valuable crew time while continuing to protect astronaut safety.

Better materials, better drugs

The DNA Nano Therapeutics-Mission 2 produces a special type of molecule formed by DNA-inspired, customizable building blocks known as Janus base nanomaterials.

It also evaluates how well the materials reduce joint inflammation and whether they can help regenerate cartilage lost due to arthritis.

These materials are less toxic, more stable, and more compatible with living tissues than current drug delivery technologies.

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Environmental influences such as gravity can affect the quality of these materials and delivery systems. In microgravity, they are larger and have greater uniformity and structural integrity.

This investigation could help identify the best formulations and methods for cost-effective in-space production.

These nanomaterials also could be used to create novel systems targeting therapy delivery that improves patient outcomes with fewer side effects.

Next-generation pharmaceutical nanostructures

The newest Industrial Crystallization Cassette (ADSEP-ICC) investigation adds capabilities to an existing protein crystallization facility.

The cassette can process more sample types, including tiny gold particles used in devices that detect cancer and other diseases or in targeted drug delivery systems.

Microgravity makes it possible to produce larger and more uniform gold particles, which improves their use in research and real-life applications of technologies related to human health.

Helping plants grow

Rhodium USAFA NIGHT examines how tomato plants respond to microgravity and whether a carbon dioxide replacement can reduce how much space-grown plants depend on photosynthesis.

Because photosynthesis needs light, which requires spacecraft power to generate, alternatives would reduce energy use.

The investigation also examines whether using supplements increases plant growth on the space station, which has been observed in preflight testing on Earth.

In future plant production facilities aboard spacecraft or on celestial bodies, supplements could come from available organic materials such as waste.

Understanding how plants adapt to microgravity could help grow food during long-duration space missions or harsh environments on Earth.

Atomic clocks in space

An ESA (European Space Agency) investigation, Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES), examines fundamental physics concepts such as Einstein’s theory of relativity using two next-generation atomic clocks operated in microgravity.

Results have applications to scientific measurement studies, the search for dark matter, and fundamental physics research that relies on highly accurate atomic clocks in space.

The experiment also tests a technology for synchronizing clocks worldwide using global navigation satellite networks.

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https://www.space.com/space-exploration/we-will-prioritize-sending-american-astronauts-to-mars-trumps-pick-for-nasa-chief-puts-focus-on-the-red-planet

Trump's pick for NASA chief tells Senate he's aiming for the Red Planet. 'We will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars'

April 9, 2025

Donald Trump's pick for NASA chief shares the president's ambitious Mars goals.

In his inaugural address on Jan. 20, Trump said the U.S. "will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars."

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Trump has tapped to lead the agency, echoed those desires during his nomination hearing today (April 9) before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Isaacman, 42, laid out a series of objectives in his opening remarks today, topping the list with crewed spaceflight goals.

"First, American astronauts will lead the way in the ultimate 'high ground' of space. As the president stated, we will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars," Isaacman said.

The Red Planet has long been NASA's horizon destination, a place it aims to reach after establishing a presence on a world much closer to home: the moon.

Via its Artemis program, the agency hopes to set up one or more bases near the water-rich lunar south pole by the end of the decade.

China is also targeting the moon, intending to land astronauts there by 2030. U.S. politicians and military officials, as well as other stakeholders in the space community, have stressed the importance of winning this so-called new space race, ensuring China doesn't get to establish norms of operation and exploration on Earth's nearest neighbor.

One of those politicians is Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who chairs the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

During today's hearing, Cruz warned against abandoning the Artemis stepping-stone approach in favor of a quicker, more direct route to the Red Planet.

"We must stay the course," Cruz said. "An extreme shift in priorities at this stage would almost certainly mean a red moon, ceding ground to China for generations to come.

I am hard-pressed to think of a more catastrophic mistake we could make in space than saying to communist China: 'The moon is yours.'"

Isaacman replied that he would not let that happen, saying NASA can work toward accomplishing multiple goals at once.

"NASA is an extraordinary agency that can do the near-impossible," he said.

"We can chart a course for Mars in line with the president's vision to return to the moon before the Chinese can get there and figure out the space economy and do the other things."

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The Artemis program, as currently envisioned, relies on a giant rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS), a crew capsule called Orion and a planned moon-orbiting space station known as Gateway.

According to the program's blueprints, Artemis astronauts will touch down on the moon in privately built landers — SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon, both of which are still in development.

Some aspects of this architecture have drawn criticism from politicians and space enthusiasts, as Artemis has been beset by multiple delays and cost overruns over the years.

During today's hearing, Isaacman said he doesn't intend to cancel Gateway or any other aspect of Artemis at the moment. But his endorsement of the agency's moon mission architecture wasn't exactly ringing.

"I believe it's the best and fastest way to get there," Isaacman said. "I don't think it's the long-term way to get to and from the moon and to Mars with great frequency.

But this is the plan we have now, and we've got to get this crew around the moon and the follow-on crew to land on the moon."

That last sentence referred to NASA's Artemis 2 mission, which is set to launch four astronauts on a round-the-moon trip in 2026, and Artemis 3, a lunar touchdown effort scheduled to lift off in mid-2027.

Isaacman is CEO and founder of the payment-processing company Shift4. He's also an accomplished private pilot and astronaut with two spaceflights under his belt: He financed and commanded the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn orbital missions, which flew in September 2021 and September 2024, respectively.

Both missions employed SpaceX hardware, so Isaacman has a relationship with the company's billionaire founder and CEO, Elon Musk.

Musk is close with President Trump, serving as an adviser to the president and as the leader of the cost- and regulation-slashing "Department of Government Efficiency."

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) brought up those ties during today's hearing, asking whether Musk was present during Isaacman's meeting with then-President-elect Trump in Florida in late 2024.

Isaacman declined to answer the question directly, instead repeating multiple times that he was being interviewed by Trump.

Markey also asked Isaacman if he has discussed his plans for NASA with Musk. That time, a direct answer was given: "I have not."

Markey and other senators will have some time to think about Isaacman's candidacy.

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation isn't expected to hold a confirmation vote for him until April 28 at the earliest, according to CNN.

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https://nasawatch.com/congress/jared-isaacmans-opening-statement/

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/AF1E2124-BB39-4160-A28C-1F6CC2F020FD

Jared Isaacman’s Opening Statement

April 9, 2025

Keith’s note: According to Opening Remarks by Jared Isaacman in advance of his confirmation hearing:

“On that note, NASA is the most accomplished and respected space agency in the world—but for all of NASA’s historic achievements, the agency is not without challenges:

• Presidents have called for a return to the Moon and a path to Mars since 1989 and well over a hundred billion has been spent without the intended results.

• Most programs—new telescopes, rovers, X-planes, or entire spaceships—are over budget and behind schedule.

• This is discouraging because people look up at the stars and wonder what is out there today, not decades down the road.”

Full statement below

Thank you Chairman Cruz, Ranking Member Cantwell, and distinguished members of the committee. I am honored and very grateful to be here before you today as President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

I have lived the American dream and I owe this nation a great debt. I would happily serve President Trump in any capacity but to work alongside the people that have expanded the boundaries of exploration and brought humanity closer to the stars, would be the privilege of a lifetime

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge my family—my parents, Sandy & Don Isaacman, my wife Monica and my two wonderful daughters, Mila and Liv.

I do recognize, I am a newcomer so I thought I would share a bit of my story, along with my understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.

I am an entrepreneur and my journey began when I took a risk and left school at age 16 to build a company in my parent’s basement.

Despite my unconventional start, I found success very early in life and led my company into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise employing thousands.

I am a pilot with an aeronautics degree. Over the last 20 years, I’ve flown over seven thousand hours in jets and ex-military aircraft, setting world records and performing in airshows.

My passion for aviation also led me to start another company–this time a defense aerospace business. As a company, we operated the world’s largest private air force.

Our job was to fly fighter jets as adversaries, executing enemy tactics and training American warfighters. We managed hundreds of millions in defense contracts and saved taxpayers billions along the way.

I am also an astronaut. Alongside a talented team, I led two record-breaking missions to space.

On my last mission, we tested a new space suit while performing a spacewalk and orbited farther away from Earth than any human has gone since the last time Americans walked on the Moon.

Along the way, my two crewmates, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, became the women who have journeyed farthest from Earth… ever.

I am an advocate for science. During these missions to space, my crew & I performed approximately 50 science and research experiments.

I have also publicly supported the Chandra x-Ray Observatory and offered to fund a mission to extend the life and capabilities of the Hubble space telescope.

I care about the people back at home and our collective future here on Earth. My space career did not burden the taxpayers. They were privately funded and aimed at inspiring and helping people all over the world.

One example is the over $250 million we raised to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their critical work to ensure no child dies in the dawn of life. Alongside these efforts, I have personally donated hundreds of millions to charitable endeavors.

I share all of this because I am not a typical nominee for this position. I have been relatively apolitical; I am not a scientist and I never worked at NASA. I do not think these are weaknesses. In fact, I believe President Trump found them to be strengths.

And if confirmed, I will bring all my experience to the greatest adventure in human history—the quest to discover the secrets of the universe.

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On that note, NASA is the most accomplished and respected space agency in the world—but for all of NASA’s historic achievements, the agency is not without challenges:

Presidents have called for a return to the Moon and a path to Mars since 1989 and well over a hundred billion has been spent without the intended results.

Most programs—new telescopes, rovers, X-planes, or entire spaceships—are over budget and behind schedule. This is discouraging because people look up at the stars and wonder what is out there today, not decades down the road.

And I know it is not lost on any members of this committee that we have geopolitical rivals moving at impressive speeds. It is imperative—for our national security, our pride, and all that we stand to gain in space exploration—that we never come in second place.

If confirmed, and with the support and guidance of President Trump and members of Congress, we will reinvigorate a mission-first culture at NASA with the following objectives:

First—American astronauts will lead the way in the ultimate ‘high ground’ of space.

As the President stated we will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars. Along the way, we will inevitably have the capabilities to return to the Moon and determine the scientific, economic, and national security benefits of maintaining a presence on the lunar surface.

We will focus our technology development efforts on the world’s greatest engineering challenges, such as the practical application of nuclear propulsion, so that we can truly unlock humankind’s ability to explore among the stars.

Second—We will ignite a thriving space economy in low Earth orbit.

By working alongside international partners and industry, we can unlock the true economic potential of space and deliver meaningful benefits to the American people–potentially charting a course for

NASA to become a financially self-sustaining agency. Third—NASA will be a force multiplier for science.

We will leverage NASA’s scientific talent and capabilities to enable academic institutions and industry to increase the rate of world-changing discoveries.

We will launch more telescopes, more probes, more rovers and endeavor to better understand our planet and the universe beyond.

If confirmed, I will work alongside & recruit the most talented minds this nation has to offer and we will concentrate our resources toward achieving the near-impossible– the objectives that no other agency, company or institution is capable of accomplishing.

We will do so knowing the risks and ground-breaking opportunities that lie ahead—because some risks, like exploring the worlds beyond ours, are worth taking.

We will do this not just to expand our knowledge or strengthen our national security, but to improve all life on Earth and inspire the next generation to reach even further.

This is why America needs NASA—why the world needs NASA—because there is no more important investment than inspiring our children to build a beaer, more exciting future.

And the best way NASA can do that is by delivering on our mission and ushering in a new Golden Age of Science & Discovery—and we will not fail.

Thank You.

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NASA offers $3M in competition to recycle human poop in space

April 9, 2025 / 1:29 PM

NASA is offering $3 million to anyone who proposes technology to solve an unusual problem: recycling feces and other human waste in space.

The space agency's LunaRecycle Challenge calls on members of the public to propose a technological means of recycling astronauts' feces, urine and vomit on the moon and during long-haul space flights.

There are currently 96 bags of human waste that were left behind on the moon by astronauts from the Apollo missions, and the aim of the LunaRecycle Challenge is to prevent adding to the stinky space stash.

The chosen technology will be put to use on future space missions, including hypothetical long-term outposts on the moon.

"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 minimized – 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," NASA said on its website.

NASA is currently reviewing the first round of proposals to decide which ones will move on to the next phase of the competition.

The team who comes out on top at the end of the competition will be awarded $3 million.

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/04/09/NASA-LunaRecycle-Challenge-human-poop/8541744218992/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIVRhsEmKAo