See astronaut trash whiz through space before its fiery end
Four astronauts on the International Space Station can create over 2.5 tons of trash per year, but how to get rid of that garbage has been an ongoing struggle.
At the low-Earth orbiting laboratory, astronauts tested a new technology last week that could become a go-to solution for space waste disposal in the future. For the first time, the seven-member crew successfully used a Nanoracks Bishop airlock system to dump about 172 pounds of junk out of the station.
The technology leverages a specially designed container and removes the trash in a bag by sending it out to burn up in Earth's atmosphere. The method doesn't contribute to the growing space debris problem, NASA officials said.
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The status quo for collecting the astronauts' trash right now involves hoarding waste for months onboard until a commercial spacecraft can haul it away. The astronauts fill a designated cargo spacecraft with trash. Then, that entire spacecraft lands back on Earth or burns up on re-entry, according to NASA.
The demo shows the new system is "a good way to clean up our home in low-Earth orbit," said Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for space operations in a recent tweet.
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The ISS crew could, in theory, fill the Nanoracks' container with up to 600 pounds of trash, according to the company. Once the waste bag is released, the airlock re-mounts empty.
Trash takes up precious space in tight quarters and presents safety issues for astronauts. After all, some of that waste is biological.
The U.S. space agency has been looking for alternate solutions to manage trash, especially because the spacecraft disposal method won't be an option for long, distant missions to the moon and, eventually, Mars.
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“Waste collection in space has been a long standing, yet not as publicly discussed, challenge aboard the ISS,” said Cooper Read, Bishop Airlock program manager at Nanoracks, in a company news release. “As we move into a time with more people living and working in space, this is a critical function just like it is for everyone at home.”
The load dumped during the demo included foam, packing materials, cargo transfer bags, dirty astronaut clothes, hygiene products and office supply waste, according to Nanoracks.
Topics NASA
Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds. Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia, and The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards, including first place for her Sex in Space series. Send space tips and story ideas to [email protected] or text 443-684-2489. Follow her on X at @elishasauers.
