T0045-P Evaporative Heat Transfer Mechanisms within a Heat Melt Compactor (EHeM HMC) Experiment

Program start date is on hold until Space Act Agreement is signed.  Placeholder date of January 2014 is used as placeholder.

Current primary waste systems cannot reclaim water or effectively reduce the volume of trash generated by astronauts; in which, waste stowage and water reclamation are vital for long-duration space exploration missions. Imperative to “closing the loop” for human life support, this experiment utilizes Heat Melt Compactor (HMC) a device designed to recover residual water from astronaut’s trash (e.g. wet wipes, juice boxes) via evaporative heat transfer, and then compact the trash in a 10-to-1 ratio to provide volume reduction, or perhaps some usefulness as an ionizing radiation shield.