This week, NASA revealed that the International Space Station’s Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) is recycling 98 percent of all water astronauts bring aboard the station…

  • JanoRis
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    12 years ago

    Would there be any use to try and slingshot the poop to mars or the moon or sth?

    Maybe even have it not exposed to vacuum or have the bacteria in a dormant spore state. Just feels like such a waste to just burn it up,

    • VegaLyrae
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      2 years ago

      Contamination is a big problem and everyone in spaceflight does their best to prevent it.

      Earth microbes that spread to other bodies might give us false information in our search for extraterrestrial life.

      NASA has an office for planetary protection. They don’t protect earth, in fact they protect all the other planets from us!

      https://sma.nasa.gov/sma-disciplines/planetary-protection

      Edit: forgot to mention, even when rovers are sent, they are decontaminated to ensure they are as clean as we can make them.