Solution Overview

Why Nylon?

Inorganic waste generated during crewed Mars missions includes a wide variety of materials: clothing, paper products, wipes, hygiene items, food packaging, EVA gear, and structural setup components like foam packaging and 3D frame structures. Among these, nylon emerges as a consistently present and highly valuable material for recycling. NASA waste audits and peer-reviewed studies show that 41% of rehydratable food pouches contain nylon, making food packaging the single largest contributor. Clothing and textiles account for another 6%, as mission garments often incorporate nylon for durability and flexibility. Cargo Transfer Bags (CTBs) used in crew supplies contain 3% nylon, typically discarded after unpacking. Nylon is also found in disinfectant wipes, payload parachutes, and other mission consumables, often overlooked but collectively significant.

This widespread presence makes nylon an ideal target for in-situ recycling. It is not only abundant but also technically suitable for additive manufacturing. Nylon possesses strong mechanical properties, including high tensile strength, thermal stability, and resistance to abrasion and chemicals. These characteristics make it well-suited for printing durable brackets that can reinforce Martian infrastructure, such as modular shelving, insulation panel mounts, and structural connectors. Unlike other polymers, nylon maintains its integrity even when recycled from contaminated or colored waste, especially when processed enzymatically, which avoids harsh chemicals and preserves material quality.

By focusing on nylon, our system taps into a high-yield, mission-relevant waste stream and transforms it into functional components that support habitat setup and long-term infrastructure needs. This approach minimizes waste accumulation, reduces reliance on Earth-supplied parts, and enables a closed-loop manufacturing cycle, all while leveraging materials already present in the mission environment.

Sourcing the Material

• Mission waste includes a wide range of discarded components such as food packaging, crew supplies, EVA gear, and textiles. These items are typically disposed of after use, yet they contain valuable polymers that can be recovered and repurposed. By identifying and isolating these waste streams, we create a reliable source of recyclable material for in-situ manufacturing, enabling infrastructure upgrades without the need for Earth resupply.

Material Properties & Selection

• The selected polymer offers a unique combination of durability, flexibility, and compatibility with 3D printing. It withstands mechanical stress, maintains stability under thermal variation, and bonds well during additive manufacturing. We chose this material over alternatives like polyethylene due to its easier extraction from mixed waste and superior structural strength, making it ideal for printing components such as brackets, panels, and modular flooring.

Our Approach

• Our system transforms discarded mission components into reusable infrastructure through a closed-loop recycling process. First, we extract polymer-rich waste from food packaging, clothing, and EVA gear. Using enzymatic recycling, we break down the polymer into high-purity monomers, which are then regenerated into printable filament. This filament is used to fabricate structural components, including brackets that support habitat upgrades and long-term mission needs. The process is designed to be repeatable, allowing materials to be recovered and reused at end-of-life.