Astronauts on the International Space Station create their share of trash by filling cargo ships, which then escape orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. Now Sierra Space has won a contract to build a trash compactor for the space station. The device compresses space debris by 75% of its volume and allows water and other gases to be extracted for recovery. The resulting waste blocks are easy to store and could even be used as radiation shields on long missions.
The so-called Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) is scheduled to be tested on board the International Space Station at the end of 2026.
Sierra Space said this technology could be critical to the success of future space exploration – such as long-duration crewed missions to the Moon and Mars – to address waste disposal, stowage and water recovery.
“Long-term space travel requires the efficient use of every gram of material and every device. “Every decision made for a spacecraft can have far-reaching consequences, and waste disposal becomes a matter of survival and mission integrity in the vacuum of space,” Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space, said in a press release. “We are meeting this challenge through technological innovation and commitment to sustainability in all aspects of space operations. Efficient, sustainable and innovative waste disposal is critical to the success of human space exploration.”
The Heat Melt Compactor was used to produce a sample trash tile that was compressed to less than one-eighth of the original trash volume. Photo credit: NASA.
NASA said that currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), common trash such as food wrappers, clothing and wipes is separated into wet and dry trash bags; These bags are temporarily stored before being packed into a spent replenishment vehicle such as Russia's Progress ship or Northrup Grumman's Cygnus vehicle. When these ships are full, they depart and burn up upon re-entry into the atmosphere, taking all the trash with them.
However, for missions further out in space, the waste will need to be managed and disposed of in other ways, such as throwing the waste into space – which doesn't sound like a very environmentally friendly idea. Additionally, wet waste contains components that may not be able to be stored for extended periods between drop events without endangering the crew.
Additionally, there is currently no way to recover water from the “wet” waste. The TCPS should be able to recover nearly all water from the waste for future use.
TCPS is a standalone system and only requires access to power, data and air cooling interfaces. It is designed to be easy to use.
According to Sierra Space, the device contains an innovative catalytic oxidizer (CatOx) “that processes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other gaseous byproducts to maintain a safe and sterile environment in space habitats.” Heat and pressure compact astronauts' waste into solid squares Tiles that are compressed to less than one-eighth of the original waste volume. The tiles are easy to store, safe to handle and offer the additional – and potentially very important – benefit of additional radiation protection.
Sierra Space was originally awarded a contract in 2023 and completed the initial design and verification phase in January 2024, which was submitted to NASA for review. Sierra Space is now completing the fabrication, integration and testing of the TCPS ground unit that will be used for ground testing in ongoing system evaluations. Due to the success of their design, Sierra Space has now been awarded a new contract to build a flight unit that will be launched aboard the space station and tested in orbit.
NASA said that after testing on the ISS, the TCPS can be used for exploration missions anywhere common spacecraft debris is generated and needs to be disposed of.
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