You heard that right folks! NASA (the US space agency) is offering up to three $30,000 prizes for the best invented method of handling our excrement with the deadline being December 20, 2016.
Up to now their method has been a fancy diaper that at best works for one day. Right now, just getting an astronaut to the International Space Station can take up to two days. When thinking about flights to an asteroid or Mars, which can take a minimum of 6 days, the space diaper just isn't a feasible solution.
The challenge specifically is looking designs that are a hands free, waste handling system that can last up to six days that have to be able to function in a weightless environment. We wouldn't want our astronauts having poop or pee floating around in their space suits or getting diaper rash, while having to deal with the unforgiving environments of outer space.
So get your thinking caps on and lets get this one figured out! There's no way we can expect to reach our current goal of visiting Mars by the 2030's if we can't even let our astronauts go to the bathroom!
Image Sources:
Space Walk
Space Poop Challenge Video