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PETALING JAYA, November 5 – A nine-year-old Malaysian received approval from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for inventing a device that allows astronauts to respond to the call of nature without removing their spacesuit.
Zyson Kang Zy Shun revealed his invention of the lunar spacesuit toilet during a NASA webinar last Wednesday, where he explained the mechanics of its design.
The device fits snugly inside an astronaut’s suit and works around microgravity using a vacuum cleaner to extract any liquid, allowing astronauts to relieve themselves inside their suits.
When it is time to use the toilet, the wearer of the suit simply has to move his leg to activate the vacuum function which will drain any liquid into a waste box inside the suit.
“A syringe pump is attached to the space trunk and the vacuum canister is attached to the space pants pocket.
“It doesn’t require electrical energy to function, it just needs kinetic mechanical energy,” Kang said.
The prodigy’s invention won first place in NASA’s Lunar Loo Challenge (Junior Category), which asked young inventors to share ideas for compact toilets that will help astronauts return to the moon in 2024 under the Artemis program.
Nearly 900 submissions from 85 countries were submitted and Kang tied for first place with fellow inventor Joel John Arun from the UK in the Under 11 category.
Kang explained that his invention is an improved version of the spacesuits used by astronauts on the Apollo lunar mission in 1969.
Back then, astronauts had to urinate into a condom-like cuff that was emptied into a bag, but the invention was far from perfect and an official NASA report on the Apollo missions said that “urine spills were frequent “.
Not only is Kang’s design suitable for space travel, but it can also be incorporated for use here on Earth by medical professionals who may not be able to use the bathroom during emergencies.
“This design can not only be used on the moon, it can also be used as a medical bath.
“Since we are now in a pandemic, doctors or nurses who need to urinate or poop while saving people can just go (to the bathroom) like this,” Kang said.
In addition to his passion for space, the Standard Three student from Selangor aspires to be a geneticist when he grows up and is a staunch fan of the Jurassic Park franchise.
He is particularly interested in the idea of recovering extinct species through palaeogenetics.
