9-year-old Malaysian boy wins NASA's Moon toilet design contest
A 9-year-old Malaysian boy has beaten nearly 900 other entrants from around the world to take first place in NASA's space toilet design competition.
The Lunar Loo Challenge asked participants to design a toilet that astronauts could use on the Moon, in preparation for the agency's next lunar mission, then planned for 2024.
Zyson Kang Zy Shun, the winner of the NASA prize.
"Although space toilets have been around for a long time and are currently in use (for example, on the International Space Station), they are designed for microgravity only," the agency said on its website.
"NASA's Human Landing System Program is looking for a next-generation device that is smaller, more efficient and able to work in both microgravity and lunar gravity."
Zyson Kang Zy Shun's "Spacesuit Lunar Toilet" invention impressed the competition organizers and earned the boy first place in the Junior category, which drew 897 entries from children in 85 countries.
Zyson's design fits inside an astronaut's spacesuit and works without electricity or batteries, relying only on mechanical kinetic energy to keep it convenient and reliable.
Zyson next to his design.
"It works by applying the concept of manual mechanical kinetic energy to create vacuum suction that crystallizes urine and feces for safe disposal. When you move your feet, the urine flows down into a container in the astronaut's boot. The design does not require any electronic components, so it reduces the chance of breakdowns in space," Zyson said.
The 9-year-old presented his invention to a NASA team on 28 October via a web conference call.
Chong Soo Sheong of the I-Discovery World science center in Kuala Lumpur, Zyson's mentor, was delighted with the achievement. "He kept thinking about his design for months. There was a lot to learn along the way. There was also a lot of trial and error, as well as experience built up to overcome the challenges. But I am glad that continuous learning and perseverance have taken him to the top of the podium of an international competition."
