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PETALING JAYA, November 5 – A nine-year-old Malaysian got a nod from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for inventing a device that allows astronauts to answer nature’s call without taking off their spacesuit.
Zyson Kang Zy Shun revealed his invention of the Lunar Toilet spacesuit during a webinar hosted by NASA last Wednesday in which he explained the mechanics of its design.
The device fits snugly into an astronaut’s suit and bypasses microgravity by using a vacuum cleaner to suck up liquids, allowing astronauts to free themselves inside their suits.
When it is time to use the bathroom, the wearer of the suit simply has to move their leg to activate the suction function which will drain any liquid into a waste disposal box inside the suit.
“A syringe pump is attached to the space boot and the vacuum container is attached to the pocket of the space pants.
“It doesn’t require electricity to operate, it just needs kinetic mechanical power,” Kang said.
The Invention of the Prodigy won first place in NASA’s Lunar Loo Challenge (Junior category) which invited young inventors to share ideas for compact bathrooms that will help astronauts return to the moon in 2024 as part of the Artemis program.
Nearly 900 submissions from 85 countries were submitted and Kang ranked first with fellow inventor Joel John Arun from the UK in the Under 11 category.
Kang explained that his invention is an updated version of the spacesuits used by astronauts on the Apollo moon mission in 1969.
Back then, astronauts had to urinate into a condom-like cuff that emptied into a bag, but the invention was far from perfect and an official NASA report on the Apollo missions claimed that “urine leaks were frequent.”
Kang’s design is not only convenient for space travel, it can also be incorporated for use here on Earth by medical professionals who may not be able to take bathroom breaks during emergencies.
“This design cannot only be used on the moon, it can also be used as a medical toilet.
“Since we’re in a pandemic now, doctors or nurses who need to pee or poop while they’re rescuing people can just go (to the toilet) like this,” Kang said.
In addition to his passion for space, Selangor’s Standard Three student aspires to be a geneticist when he grows up and is a huge fan of the Jurassic Park franchise.
He is particularly interested in the idea of bringing extinct species back to life through paleogenetics.
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