The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in waste management has the potential to significantly advance circular economy objectives by enhancing efficiency, reducing waste, and optimizing resource recovery. However, realising these benefits depends on addressing significant technical, economic, and systemic barriers. AI technologies, such as intelligent waste‐sorting systems and predictive models, are transforming how waste is processed and materials are reused. This article critically evaluates the potential and limitations of AI‐driven approaches across the waste management lifecycle through a narrative review of peer‐reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025. AI offers a revolutionary approach to waste management, resource recovery, and environmental impact reduction by enabling the processing of massive datasets and automating complex decision‐making. However, to fully realize AI's promise, critical issues, including scarce data availability, expensive implementation costs, the requirement for efficient human‐AI cooperation, and ethical considerations regarding algorithmic transparency and workforce impacts, must be systematically addressed. Additionally, ethical concerns related to job displacement and the environmental footprint of AI technologies themselves require careful management. This review identifies significant research gaps, including the need for standardized datasets, explainable AI frameworks, and comprehensive lifecycle assessments of AI‐driven interventions. Looking to the future, decentralized AI systems, AI‐driven global waste trade optimization, blockchain‐integrated tracking systems, and AI‐enhanced product design offer promising avenues for further innovation. As AI continues to develop, its incorporation into waste management systems will be essential to accelerating the world's shift to a circular economy that is more resource‐efficient and sustainable.

Space exploration's environmental impact presents a critical challenge to global net-zero objectives, particularly through launch emissions, orbital debris accumulation, and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. This narrative review examines technological and policy pathways toward sustainable space activities, analyzing emerging green propulsion systems, renewable energy integration, and circular economy applications in spacecraft design. The review evaluates the efficacy of current sustainability initiatives, including hydroxyl-free hydrazine propulsion, solar-electric systems, and advanced satellite technologies for environmental monitoring. Critical assessment of regulatory frameworks reveals gaps in international governance, highlighting the need for standardized carbon accounting and emissions trading schemes in space operations. The analysis extends to public-private research and development partnerships (PPRDPs), examining their role in accelerating sustainable innovation through information spillover effects and agglomeration externalities. While technological advancements demonstrate promise, particularly in reusable launch systems and space-based solar power (SBSP), significant challenges persist in deep-space mission sustainability, regulatory enforcement, and cost barriers to green technology adoption. This review synthesizes current progress and limitations in sustainable space exploration, providing insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers working toward net-zero space operations. The findings emphasize the necessity of harmonizing space exploration objectives with environmental preservation through integrated technological innovation and international cooperation frameworks.

This research evaluates advanced waste management technologies suitable for long-duration space missions, particularly focusing on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven sorting systems, biotechnological bioreactors, and thermal processing methods, such as plasma gasification. It quantitatively assesses the waste generated per crew member. It analyses energy efficiency, integration capabilities with existing life-support systems, and practical implementation constraints based on experimental ground and ISS data. Challenges are addressed, including energy demands, microbial risks, and integration complexities. The research also discusses methodological approaches, explicitly outlining selection criteria and comparative frameworks used. Key findings indicate that plasma arc technologies significantly reduce waste volume, although high energy consumption remains challenging. Enhanced recycling efficiencies of water and oxygen are also discussed. Future research directions and actionable policy recommendations are outlined to foster sustainable and autonomous waste management solutions for space exploration.

Sustainable water management is a critical challenge in space exploration, where the limited availability of resources requires innovative approaches to ensure astronauts' survival on long‐duration missions. This narrative review explores the key technologies and methods involved in water recycling, in situ resource utilization (ISRU), and bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) essential for supporting human life in space. The Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) aboard the International Space Station has demonstrated significant progress in recycling water from urine, sweat, and humidity, achieving up to 93% recovery. However, challenges remain in reducing energy consumption, improving system durability, and ensuring water quality. ISRU technologies, particularly those aimed at extracting water ice from lunar and Martian environments, offer promising solutions for future missions, but they must overcome scalability and logistical hurdles. This review also highlights the potential of nanotechnology and AI‐driven autonomous systems in enhancing water purification and management. Nanomaterials like graphene oxide membranes could revolutionize filtration efficiency, while AI could optimize real‐time water quality monitoring and recycling processes. As space agencies push toward establishing colonies on the Moon and Mars, the development of sustainable, closed‐loop water systems will be pivotal to the success of these missions. Continued research and innovation are essential to ensuring water resources are efficiently managed for long‐term human presence in space.