Garbage compactor heading to space station

Astronauts on the International Space Station emit a fair amount of trash, fill cargo ships, deorbit, and burn up in the atmosphere. Now, Sierra Space has been awarded a contract to build a trash compactor for the space station. The device compresses space junk to 75% of its volume, allowing it to be recycled by extracting water and other gases. The resulting garbage blocks can be easily stored and can also be used as radiation shielding for long-term missions.

The system, called the Trash Compaction Processing System (TCPS), is scheduled to be tested on the International Space Station in late 2026.

Sierra Space said the technology could be critical to the success of future space exploration, including long-duration manned missions to the moon and Mars, including waste management, stowage and water recycling.

“Long-duration space travel requires the efficient use of every material and every piece of equipment. Every decision about a spacecraft can have far-reaching effects, and waste management is critical to survival in the vacuum of space. It’s a question of mission integrity,” Sierra Space CEO Tom Bice said in a press release.

“We are addressing this challenge through technological innovation and a commitment to sustainability in all aspects of space operations. Successful human space exploration depends on efficient, sustainable and innovative waste disposal. It’s essential.”

NASA says common trash such as food packaging, clothing and wipes are currently separated into wet and dry trash bags on the International Space Station (ISS). These bags are temporarily stored before being stuffed into used supply vehicles such as Russian Progress ships and Northrup Grumman Cygnus vehicles. Once full, these ships undock and burn up as they enter the atmosphere, taking all the trash with them.

But for more distant missions, space junk will need to be managed and disposed of in other ways, such as by being dumped into space, which doesn’t seem like a very environmentally friendly idea. Additionally, wet waste contains components that may not be stored for long periods of time between dumping events without endangering crew members.

Additionally, there is currently no way to recover water from “wet” waste. TCPS should be able to recover nearly all the water from the trash for future use.

TCPS is a standalone system and requires only access to power, data, and air cooling interfaces. It is designed with ease of use in mind.

Sierra Space says the device includes an innovative catalytic oxidation device (CatOx) that “processes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other gaseous byproducts to maintain a safe and sterile environment in the space habitat.” Said to be included.

The astronaut trash is compressed into solid square tiles using heat and pressure, compressing it to less than one-eighth the original trash volume. Tiles are easy to store, safe to handle, and also have the additional, and potentially very important, benefit of providing additional radiation protection.

Sierra Space was originally awarded the contract in 2023 and completed the initial design and review phase in January 2024, submitting it to NASA for review. Sierra Space is currently in the final stages of manufacturing, integrating, and checking out the TCPS ground unit that will be used for ground testing in the ongoing system evaluation.

Based on the success of their design, Sierra Space was awarded a new contract to build a flight unit that will be launched at the space station and tested in orbit.

NASA said that once tested on the ISS, TCPS could be used for exploration missions anywhere that common spacecraft debris is generated and needs to be managed.