Turn human waste into rocket fuel

Scientists are studying how to treat and turn human waste into rocket fuel for future space missions.

>>>Turn urine into rocket fuel

Pratap Pullammanappallil and colleagues from the University of Florida, USA, find solutions to reuse and turn human waste into rocket fuel. In the study, they determined the amount of methane produced from leftovers, packaging and human waste.

Pratap Pullammanappallil and the process of processing and converting human waste into fuel.(Photo: University of Florida)

Anaerobic decomposition is the process by which microorganisms decompose organic matter and kill pathogens in the absence of oxygen. Through this process, researchers can create a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide.

"Methane can be used as rocket fuel. Enough fuel for the crew to return to Earth from the Moon," UPI quoted Pullammanappallil as saying. According to him, it could also be used to power the grid on Earth, turning waste into fuel for the campus, town or anywhere else.

The astronaut's way to treat waste is stored in containers before putting it on a space transport vehicle. They will be completely burned when passing through the Earth's atmosphere.

However, for a longer-term research program, such as the base construction project on the Moon in 2024, NASA hopes to come up with another solution. People cannot leave waste on the Moon, while bringing cosmic garbage back to Earth is not the optimal plan because it is very expensive and polluting.