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Space
Space
Science
Elizabeth Howell

Like Wall-E, this lovable trash compactor will help ISS astronauts take out the garbage (photo)

A box with the words "sierra space" on it and a couple of hoses.

Sierra Space plans to launch a trash compactor to the space station in two years — and some media outlets say the machine looks like Wall-E.

An International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission in 2026 will send up the Sierra Space trash compactor for testing, company officials stated in a press release on Wednesday (Oct. 16). Like many other space station testbeds, this trash compactor will assess how to deal with the problem of garbage on eventual crewed moon or Mars missions, where disposal will be even more of an issue.

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