Researchers at University of Florida have discovered a way to turn astronaut waste (yes, that kind) into rocket fuel. Instead of burning up the waste on re-entry (or dumping it on the moon’s surface), why not harness all of that valuable methane instead? This is exciting technology for NASA, as they consider longer-term space missions, which would generate more significant quantities of waste.

According to University of Florida Professor Pratap Pullammanappallil, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, “We were trying to find out how much methane can be produced from uneaten food, food packaging and human waste. The idea was to see whether we could make enough fuel to launch rockets and not carry all the fuel and its weight from Earth for the return journey. Methane can be used to fuel the rockets. Enough methane can be produced to come back from the moon.”

 

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