MIT Recycling System Turns Mixed Space Waste Into Manufacturing Feedstock
NASA has awarded first prize in Phase 2 of its LunaRecycle Challenge to a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The winning system turns mixed waste into feedstock for injection moulding and 3D printing. Although designed for missions to the Moon and deep space, the approach may also support more flexible recycling systems on Earth.
Recycling Without Complex Sorting
The MIT team developed Composites for Extraterrestrial Recycling By Engineering the Reuse and Upcycling of Zotek, known as CERBERUZ. The group includes undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.
CERBERUZ grinds mixed waste into a fine powder. This process can handle materials such as fabrics, plastics, metals and foam. Rather than treating Zotek foam as contamination that must be removed, the system uses it as reinforcement within a new composite material.
The resulting powder can serve as feedstock for injection-moulded components or be converted into filament for additive manufacturing. This could allow astronauts to transform limited waste streams into useful parts without relying on extensive separation equipment. The project therefore offers a material-led approach to closed-loop manufacturing in environments where storage space, resources and transport capacity are limited.
Prototype And Digital Twin
The MIT team received a total of $775,000 after winning both the prototype development track and the digital twin track. A digital twin is a virtual model that simulates the operation of a physical recycling system. It can help teams test performance and identify improvements before deploying equipment in space.
Fourteen finalist teams demonstrated their prototypes at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa from 24 to 28 August 2026. Several teams also presented digital twins alongside their physical systems.
Other awards recognised technologies for mass efficiency, the number of waste types processed, visualisation and innovative recycling methods. These included microwave-based material recovery, carbon recovery, feedstock transformation and systems that turn waste into construction-related products.
Potential Beyond Space Missions
NASA launched the two-phase, $3 million LunaRecycle Challenge with The University of Alabama’s Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering. The competition encouraged teams to develop recycling technologies that could operate in deep space while also offering possible uses on Earth.
Phase 1 attracted more than 1,200 registrations, the highest number in the 20-year history of NASA’s Centennial Challenges. A panel of 50 judges reviewed almost 200 submissions.
For designers and manufacturers, CERBERUZ shows how mixed waste could become a resource for local production. Its ability to incorporate materials commonly treated as contaminants may reduce sorting requirements while expanding the available feedstock for moulding and 3D printing.
Source & photo: NASA