MIT students tackle lunar waste with recycling system

The Moon has a few things in common with Earth. No, we’re not talking about craters or imperfections, but trash. Building a home for humans on the Moon is a dream that many scientists are working to make a reality. But as supplies arrive from Earth, so will packaging and other waste. With astronauts also needing tools and spare parts to maintain their lunar base, an MIT student team has developed a system that turns lunar waste into useful materials. The student team CERBERUZ has won both tracks of NASA’s LunaRecycle Centennial Challenge and $925,000 in prize money.Trash that has nowhere to goThe future lunar base will receive a steady stream of supplies, most of which will arrive wrapped in material that gets tossed once opened. The base will also need tools, spare parts and building materials. George Lordos, a research scientist at MIT and the team’s lead adviser, says that waste will keep building up while maintenance demands new materials. Turning trash into useful materials means fewer items have to be launched from Earth.“Waste packaging materials will inevitably accumulate when a lunar outpost is built, and at the same time, outpost construction and maintenance will require ...