Malaysian boy, 9, wins Nasa competition with toilet invention for astronauts on the moon

Zyson Kang’s ‘Spacesuit Lunar Toilet’ design won the top prize in the Junior category, which saw some 900 entries by children worldwide

‘It works by applying a manual mechanical kinetic concept to produce a vacuum suction power to crystallise the urine and faecal matter for safe disposal,’ he says

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An illustration depicting Artemis astronauts on the moon. Photo: Nasa via AP

Published: 8:00am, 6 Nov 2020Updated: 5:26pm, 6 Nov 2020

A nine-year-old inventor in Malaysia has beat almost 900 rivals worldwide to come in first place in a Nasa competition to design a space toilet.

The Lunar Loo Challenge asked participants to design a toilet for astronauts that can operate on the moon, ahead of its next lunar mission in 2024.

Zyson Kang was among 897 children who took part in the Junior category of Nasa’s Lunar Loo Challenge. Photo: Facebook

“Although space toilets already exist and are in use (at the International Space Station, for example), they are designed for microgravity only,” the organisation said on its website.

“Nasa’s Human Landing System Program is looking for a next-generation device that is smaller, more efficient, and capable of working in both microgravity and lunar gravity.”

Zyson Kang Zy Shun’s “Spacesuit Lunar Toilet” invention impressed judges, who awarded him the top prize in the Junior category, which saw 897 entries from children of 85 countries.