Left image via renolink.com.au //

One expensive plumbing job…

It’s no secret that NASA is keen to get us back on the moon, with the hope of establishing a working colony on the galactic rock by 2024. Of course they’re hard at work on various aspects of the mission, from the ship that’ll get us there to the suits that’ll be worn and the structure of the settlement itself. It’s also working on one of the most important parts of the mission and of everyday life, offering $35,000 USD ($51,000 AUD) worth of prizes to whoever designs a toilet that works on the moon.

If you’re at all interested in taking part in the competition, listen closely. The toilet has to be able to accomodate men and women, as well as be able to function in the microgravity as well as on the moon whose gravity is just a sixth of Earth’s. Additionally, the toilet will need to be able to conserve water due to the scare amount of resources on the moon.

NASA has a couple more requirements, stating that the toilet should be able to support the crew for two weeks, and be easy to lean and allow for collection of waste to storage or disposal outside the vehicle. The device has to also weigh less than 15 kgs and be less than .12 cubic metres in volume. And if you’re keen on copping bonus points at all, the design must be able to capture vomit without requiring a crew member to put their head in the toilet, as according to the guidelines. No doubt that feature will be put to a lot of use up there. First place design will receive $20,000 USD ($30,000 AUD), second place will get $10,000 USD ($14,500 AUD) and this will get $5,000 USD ($7,300).

The deadline to submit designs is August 17 and winners will be announced in October. You can suss the full design guidelines here.