Innovative astronaut waste management system designed and prototyped, meeting NASA?s rigorous requirements for pressure suit use during extended missions.
ALTEN Technology developed a comprehensive waste management system for astronauts, addressing the challenge of waste collection and containment for individuals confined to pressure suits for up to six days. The project involved a multi-faceted approach, beginning with an evaluation of the client’s initial fecal collection concept before proceeding to the development of an initial design and then a full system, including the fecal collection mechanism, garment, and actuation system. A functional prototype was built and subjected to rigorous human-in-the-loop donning and actuation tests, alongside fecal simulant functional tests. This innovative prototype, which incorporates a novel, simple-to-use waste collection, containment, and separation garment designed for operation and storage inside a pressure suit, successfully met or exceeded all tested requirements and received evaluation by NASA.