Full-Scale Trash-to-Gas System Demonstration

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Description

Manufacture, build, and test a full-scale, Trash-to-Gas system for a ground demonstration. Infuse lessons learned from prior successful sub-scale demonstrations of the technology in microgravity via suborbital flight testing.

Benefits

Full-scale prototype system demonstrated in the ground environment for relevant durations (~33 days).

Details

Technology area	Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems > Environmental Control and Life Support Systems and Habitation Systems > Waste Management
Program	Agency Independent Research and Development (A-IRAD)
Lead organization	Kennedy Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, FL
Start date	2026-10-01
End date	2027-09-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Anne J Meier — anne.meier@nasa.gov
Christopher S Johnson — christopher.s.johnson@nasa.gov
Malay G Shah — malay.g.shah@nasa.gov
Ray P Pitts — ray.p.pitts@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.