[War Zone] There are few truer sayings than "when you gotta go, you gotta go." When the time comes, though, finding a restroom can often be more difficult. Now imagine you're strapped into a tactical combat jet on an hours-long mission with limited options, most of them designed with men primarily in mind. That's the reality many female pilots in the U.S. Air Force face on a regular basis and one that the service is looking to change.
On Aug. 4, 2020, the Air Force began accepting proposals for what it has dubbed the Sky High Relief Challenge. AFWERX, a technology incubator the service established in 2017 to help foster innovation and accelerate the development and acquisition of novel technologies, is leading the effort, which is seeking systems to collect urine for disposal in flight that will be comfortable and easy to use for women on missions lasting up to 16 hours in total. |