The Most Unique Thing in Space (Evolution of the Space Toilet...)
Written throughout 2023, Published with October 11, 2024 edition
A new toilet system was released in 2020 which features some new improvements to the design and is known as the Universal Waste Management System. This 23-million-dollar investment features two toilets: one on the ISS for the crew, as well as another to use for the Artemis program. On the ISS, the toilet is surrounded by a tall stall with a functioning door and the space is pretty generous. However, NASA had to compact the system by 65% and make it almost half as light as the standard model for the Orion capsule.
Unlike standard toilets on Earth, the machine built to satisfy urination and bowel movements for astronauts uses different mechanisms and techniques to deal with the unique environment. Because of weightlessness, astronauts are strapped onto the toilet with the help of foot restraints and handles. The toilet itself mainly consists of two parts: the seat which is connected to a metal container, as well as a long tube with a funnel at the end. Airflow can be turned on using a small switch on the tube which would allow urine and poop to be “swallowed” by the system without them floating around everywhere and creating a mess (airflow is automatic now). The urine is then passed through to the life-support system aboard the ISS to help with recycled water production. The toilet seat is kind of like a miniature trash can, and the toilet hole is around 6 inches in diameter with airflow to suction poop down. A plastic bag is attached to this hole so that feces are collected in the plastic bag. After a person has finished, they would take the bag and push it through the metal container before putting on a new bag. Once the metal canister is full of bags, astronauts would discard the waste before putting it back.
With the rise of female astronauts, the newer toilets installed on the ISS have improved to help accommodate for the difference in anatomy. The funnel’s shape was increased and changed slightly, and the entire tube system was moved closer to the toilet seat to make going #1 and #2 at the same time easier. However, many earlier toilet systems used for spaceflight were tailored toward men, with many devices taking inspiration from condoms.
However, this lavish system was not always an option on earlier flights. On Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 launch–estimated to last only 15 minutes–multiple hours of delays resulted in the astronaut’s need to urinate. However, having him leave the Mercury capsule would only escalate the delay time, so he was told to remove electrical connections to avoid electrocution and pee in his suit. During the Apollo missions, astronauts would wear sleeves in their suits that would allow them to pee during flight. This would basically act like a sac full of urine that would have to be emptied out. For bowel movements, the astronauts would have a bag to leave their poop. However, a new bathroom system was created during the Skylab missions and the Space Shuttle program, which operated similarly to the current system on the ISS. Astronauts would endure a tedious process of strapping themselves down, including foot restraints and a belt. Bags would collect bowel movements and urination would be collected through a tube, similar to today’s mechanisms. All of this was made possible by the help of pressurization which was installed to avoid messy cleanup.