SpaceTrash Hack: Revolutionizing Recycling on Mars

Red Planet Recyclers(RPR)

For a 3-year mission to Mars and back, an 8-person crew would generate over 12,600 kg of inorganic waste. Our solution transforms this challenge into opportunity. Recycling mission waste into infrastructure using advanced nylon recovery and 3D printing.

Challenge:

We are responding to the NASA Space Apps Challenge: SpaceTrash Hack: Revolutionizing Recycling on Mars. 

Our Solution: 

We extract nylon from mission waste (e.g. food packaging, clothing, EVA gear) and extract it via enzymatic recycling into printable filament. This enables modular repairs, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term sustainability, all compatible by Mars’ dry atmosphere and on site resources.

Mission Objective

Upon landing, the crew inflates a habitat using foam packaging and a cube-frame structure. These components become waste due to removing parts not needing them anymore after habitat inflation. Our system repurposes such discarded materials into structural components brackets using recycled nylon.

Slide deck:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DRTnj7l32Ma9qAd2PuSYKgBxe3tVcBJI/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113740670052083424551&rtpof=true&sd=true

Meet the Team