To boldly go:NASA launches Lunar Loo challenge
大膽地上:美國航太總署啟動月球廁所挑戰賽
精英翻譯社轉自https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1388040
◎管淑平
Everyone poops. Including astronauts, who have since the early space era found ways to do their business in near-zero gravity.
每個人都要上廁所,包括自太空年代早期就設法在接近零重力環境中方便的太空人。
Now the US space agency is calling on the world’s inventors to develop a toilet that works not just in microgravity, but also lunar gravity on a future lunar lander spacecraft, as part of its plans to return to the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis mission.
現在,美國太空總署號召全球發明家,研發一款不僅能在微重力中、也能適合未來月球登陸船在月球重力下使用的馬桶,做為太空總署「阿特米斯任務」2024年重返月球的計畫一部份。
The winning design will receive $20,000, with $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third.
獲勝的設計作品將獲得2萬美元獎金,第二名1萬美元、第三名5000美元。
The toilet should work on the Moon’s gravity, which is about a sixth of the Earth’s - so urine and feces will fall, though there will be less of a plop. (AFP)
這款馬桶應該要能在約地球重力六分之一的月球重力環境使用,以利尿液、糞便能落下,不過噗通聲將會比較小。(法新社)