The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or better known as the short form which has a ringing tone about it, NASA, is a space agency that stands independent and proud in the United States Federal Government.
This agency has accepted the responsibility of taking care of the civilian space program and also focus on aeronautics and space-related research. This agency came into being in the year 1958 which is around 62 years ago. Before NASA, there was another agency by the name of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The new agency formed, was space oriented and believed in peace.
The main focus of this agency is to get a greater and superior understanding of our very planet Earth. They do have the appropriate tools for it, like the use of advanced heliophysics and through the application of Earth Observing System. These tools are available to this agency via the Science Mission Directorate‘s Heliophysics Research Program.
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Other concerns of this agency include the detailed explorations of the solar system with the application of their very own robotic spacecraft missions, for example, the New horizons. Along with it, NASA also carries out research related to various astrophysics topics which include the big bang theory, which is carried out by the Great observatories and its associated programs.
The creation of this agency has been a wonderful journey. Keeping all the achievements of the USA regarding space in mind like the launch of an artificial satellite for the International Geophysical Year (1957–58), resulting in the American Project Vanguard, on July 28, 1958, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act and NASA came into being.
As soon as it came into power, it dissolved the NACA and took its 8,000 employees under it and along with the annual budget of the US $100 million, NASA began to run three major industries namely, Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, and Lewis Flight Propulsion laboratory. Apart from these industries, it also started two small test facilities.
There was no seeing back from this point. President Eisenhower came up with a NASA seal that was approved just the next year of the establishment of this agency, i.e. 1959.
Later on, a few necessary elements of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency and the United States Naval Research Laboratory were also added to the agency.
This, later on, strengthened this agency to a very large extent, and a countable jump of this agency in the space race was made with the Soviet Union, the German Rocket Program, which was led by Wernher Von Braun.
Along with these achievements, there are some notable crewed missions of this agency, which deserves special mention like the X-15 rocket plane, Project Mercury, Project Gemini, Apollo Program, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, Space shuttle program, International space program and many more.
This agency also knows how to find great talented, young astronauts, designers, and engineers and would come up with many initiatives. One of them is being described below where this agency invites designers like you to come up with ideas regarding a space toilet that is suitable for both men and women, for a mission to the moon.
NASA’s Space toilet design- For a mission to the Moon
This agency has planned an ambitious goal, which is of sending the astronauts to the Moon. The very basic need for this mission is to have a toilet in the space vehicle and can be used on the moon!
The use of the toilet in the space is a necessity that needs to be sorted. The agency has to adapt a design which would be apt for the atmosphere of Moon.
Some guidelines need to be kept in mind while designing this toilet, which I would refer to a piece of art (no matter how dirty it is!) –
- In this very mission, there is a plan to include the first-ever female astronaut to travel to the moon so the toilet should be apt for both men and women.
- It should be apt for the Artemis lunar lander so it should work in the microgravity space or “zero-g” and on the moon where the gravity is about 1/6th of what is there on Earth.
- It should be able to conserve water and be able to contain odor and contaminants.
- It should be able to support a crew which has around 14 members and the waste should be able to dispose outside the vehicle
- Considering the space constraints, it should weigh less than 13 pounds and the volume should be around .12 cubic meters
- it should be easy to clean, use no more than 70 watts of power, and should have a roundabout time of fewer than 5 minutes after every use
- A bonus point will be awarded if the designer comes up with a design that allows capture of vomiting without the need of the astronaut putting his/her head in the pot
- It should make less noise than a regular toilet fan
This agency is ready to spend around $35,000 for this initiative. The first prize is $20,000, second is $10,000 and the third is $5000. The deadline for submitting the designs is August 17 and the winners will be announced in October.
In my opinion, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I don’t think anyone should miss it. Just think about it guys, an American space vehicle will incorporate a design offered by an Indian in their ambitious mission. it will be a proud moment for us.
Let us all grab this opportunity and let it not go to waste. let us make our country proud and who knows, the relation of our country with the USA might become better shortly and all of the misunderstandings and other negative emotions may go missing and we can work towards being a developed nation.
This chance should not go to waste and I think it’s a golden opportunity for people who wants to serve their nation but cannot join the army for any reason.
So bring out the thinking caps and grab this opportunity and go ahead to make your nation proud of you!!