Client Case Study: NASA’s Lunar Loo Challenge - Junior

The Challenge

NASA’s Lunar Loo Challenge - Junior Category was the first challenge that HeroX specifically tailored to our under-18 community. This challenge was run alongside the Lunar Loo Challenge to encourage and recognize the efforts of our younger innovators. Challenges that involve space always have extremely high participation rates. There is something inherently compelling about anything related to, traveling through, or living in space. But we wanted a way to more formally encourage, inspire, and recognize the efforts of the younger community. So when we were designing the Lunar Loo Challenge, we decided to simultaneously launch a junior category of the challenge.

The Work

NASA’s Lunar Loo Challenge sought novel toilet designs that could operate in both micro and lunar gravity while also conforming to volume, mass, and safety constraints. We provided the same performance and design specifications in the junior category that were given in the main challenge. Junior submissions were broken into three categories, based on age: under 11, 11-14, and 15-17. Complete submissions included a design drawing, a written description, and a short video presenting the design. The judging committee evaluated each submission on its creativity, how well the design addressed the different specifications, and how well the design protected the safety of the astronaut users.

The Outcome

The NASA’s Lunar Loo Challenge - Junior Category received 861 submissions from 84 countries and recognized 27 winners and runners up across three age categories. Winners received a range of merchandise with the NASA logo and public recognition from the winners’ webinar. The webinar was an opportunity for each winner to introduce themselves and to share their design highlights. NASA was awed by the enthusiasm and excitement evident in the individual and team submissions received from around the world, and HeroX was delighted to be able to encourage our next generation of thinkers and doers with an opportunity to participate in the crowdsourcing process.

1st Place - Under 11 Category

2nd Place - Under 11 Category