# AI-Driven Waste Management in Innovating Space Exploration
## 5 Challenges and Considerations
### Summarise the Challenge  
Managing waste in space presents unique challenges, underscored by the significance that illustrates waste management's complexity for space missions. Each International Space Station (ISS) crew member generates about 1.5 kg of waste daily, leading to a total of 4.5 to 9 kg daily for crew sizes of 3 to 6, or 1642 to 3285 kg annually. High-energy waste treatment technologies, like plasma arc systems, face integration challenges due to limited power on spacecraft, consuming 500 to 1000 kilowatt-hours per ton processed. The cost of launching payloads into space is approximately USD 10,000 per pound, making waste reduction or reprocessing into functional materials crucial for potential savings of hundreds  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Technology** & **Processing** & \begin{tabular}{c} **Energy** \\ **(kWh/ton)** \\ \end{tabular} & **Suitability for Space Use** & \begin{tabular}{c} **By-Product** \\ **Utilization** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline Plasma Arc & High volume reduction & 500–1000 & High (requires significant power) & Syngas for energy \\ \hline Pyrolysis & \begin{tabular}{c} Moderate volume \\ reduction produces \\ biochar, oil, and syngas \\ \end{tabular} & 200–500 & Moderate (less energy than plasma but still significant) & \begin{tabular}{c} Biochar for soil \\ enhancement, syngas \\ for energy \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline Bioreactors & \begin{tabular}{c} Organic waste to biogas \\ and compost \\ \end{tabular} & 50–150 & \begin{tabular}{c} High (low energy, valuable \\ by-products) \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} Compost for growing \\ food, biogas for energy \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline \begin{tabular}{c} Mechanical \\ Compaction \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} Compacts solid waste to \\ reduce volume \\ \end{tabular} & 10–50 & \begin{tabular}{c} Very High (low energy, \\ simple technology) \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} None (reduces storage \\ space only) \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline \begin{tabular}{c} Incineration \\ \end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c} High volume reduction, \\ sterilisation of waste \\ \end{tabular} & 300–600 & \
\begin{tabular}{c} Moderate (efficient but \\ requires energy for high \\ heat) \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} Heat can be used for \\ energy \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{c}{Projected Waste Volumes for Future Deep-Space Missions} \\ \hline Mission Type & days & Crew Size & Daily Waste/Crew & Total Waste \\ \hline Mars & 900 & 6 & 1.8 kg & 9720 kg \\ \hline Asteroid Mining & 180 & 4 & 1.5 kg & 1080 kg \\ \hline Lunar Habitat & 365 & 5 & 1.5 kg & 2738 kg \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 5: Comparative analysis of waste management technologies.  
of thousands of dollars annually. Currently, the ISS recycles about 90% of water and 42% of oxygen from waste, with food packaging (20%), human metabolic waste (30%), and inedible food parts (25%) comprising the waste types. For a Mars mission with a six-person crew lasting several years, total waste could exceed 25,000 kg. Efficient waste management is vital for astronaut health, safety, and mission sustainability, necessitating innovative systems that minimise energy use and maximise recycling (Figure 7).  
Figure 6: Comparative analysis of waste processing technologies.  
Figure 7: Breakdown of waste types generated on space missions.