A “shitty” problem. NASA has launched a competition offering $3 million in prizes to those who can help solve a problem that has persisted for years: managing human waste in space. With renewed efforts to explore the Moon and future missions to Mars, this issue is more relevant than ever.

The puzzle. NASA is seeking a solution for handling human waste during space exploration. In other words, alongside robots, tardigrades, a family photo, and other remnants, it won’t be unusual to find hundreds of bags of human excrement on the Moon. Those who find a solution know exactly what’s at stake.