What does it do or how does it work?

· It is simple! Game pieces/elements are printed on individual food and drink pouches (like a card from a deck of cards). The games reuse and repurpose food and drink pouches that would otherwise be waste. On Mars, once the pouch is consumed, it can be sanitized and used a part of a game.

What benefits does it have?

· Reuses pouches that would otherwise be trash.

· The games can be played over and over due to the durability of the materials.

· Promotes well-being and social-emotional health of astronauts.

· Provides opportunities for connection among the astronauts in a low-stress way.

· Games can be kept as collector’s items and transported back to Earth to be sold. This could bring in significant income for NASA, with these treasures that supported astronauts on Mars can then be a collector's dream.

What is the intended impact of the project?

· Give trash another life in a way that helps the astronauts' overall well-being. Reuse these products in a meaningful way.

· Make the trash, which is now games, valuable to the public, ensuring that it does not enter landfills on Earth or remain as trash on Mars.

· Potential for significant revenue.

What tools, coding languages, hardware, or software did you use to develop your project?

· This project is in the idea creation phase. We used NASA resources to understand the problem. The nice thing about this project is that the work of printing the games on the food and drink pouches will be done on Earth. All the astronauts need to do is consume the pouches and sanitize them before playing the games.

How is your project creative?

· Our project literally turns trash into treasures!

· This project discovered a new way to use food packaging waste like never before in space.

· This project ensures all the work is done on Earth. It gives the astronauts a sense of excitement as new games are revealed, engaging them in a creative way that supports well-being.

· Reduces trash!

What factors did your team consider?

· We considered how to use one of the many trash items in a meaningful way. Food and drink pouches take up limited space when flat, and if sanitized, they can be kept for a long time, reused regularly in fun, creative ways.

· The pouches are no longer trash, but rather treasured items.

· We want to reduce waste and find a way to make trash useful!

· Upon return to Earth, these games made from pouches will be coveted for their uniqueness. These pouches will have been in space, on Mars, and used regularly by the now-famous 8 astronauts.

· Once the production of the games is up a running (i.e. printing on pouches and some boxes that contain them), reprinting these games for future use is low effort and cost-effective.

· We want the astronauts to be happy! They will be in high-stress situations regularly; these games allow them an opportunity to unwind, connect with their colleagues and experience nostalgia when they are so far from home.

2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge

The Ombs