Space is extreme, and the problems it presents require extreme solutions. These solutions are often translated into application on Earth.
In the case of waste, space travel confronts the particularly interesting dynamic that a spaceship's ecosystem is so small, so extreme. The ecosystem makes the saying "there is no away" immediately and always apparent.
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| Luna 24 site on moon, about 5,800 kg |
To date, space exploration has either dealt with waste by leaving stuff where it finished up (hence 170 tonnes of artificial objects that have been left on the moon, and an estimated 5,500 tonnes of space debris)
NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are both supporting significant research to do better.
