When launching a rocket into space, astronauts must prepare for any number of unexpected problems, from fuel leaks to faulty sensors.
The last issue they might expect at a critical moment is a toilet malfunction – but NASA astronauts were forced to hold their bladders for the first six hours aboard the Orion spacecraft.
At least one of the four astronauts on the Artemis II mission to the moon had to rest in a NASA-approved bag because a fan in the toilet’s control system malfunctioned shortly after takeoff, a NASA administrator said.
The 10-day mission, which launched Wednesday, is set to take astronauts to the far side of the moon — and, potentially, further than humans have ever gone before.
Although they won’t land, the test flight will evaluate life-support equipment and pave the way for a lunar touchdown in 2028, after which the US will establish a base on the lunar surface.
Late Wednesday evening, mission specialist Christina Koch played the role of space plumber, removing parts from the toilet and executing a series of steps radioed from NASA’s Houston Space Center, closing it and turning it back on.
After several hours of tinkering, the astronauts were advised to warm the system up to operating speed “before donating fluids”. They got the good news that they could use the toilet four hours before bed.
Mission Control said to the relief of everyone on board, “You better use the restroom overnight.”
To tackle the problem of going to the toilet in zero gravity, NASA has spent more than £17.4 million on a “global waste management system”.
While this system encountered problems, a special seat into which the astronauts strap themselves, which sucks the feces into a sealed container, remained intact.
After several hours of tinkering, the astronauts were advised to warm up the system to operating speed.
Waste disposal posed a problem on previous Apollo missions when there were no toilets on board, forcing the astronauts to rest in plastic bags that were attached to their bodies.
On the 1969 Apollo 10 mission to the moon, Commander Thomas Stafford said: “Give me a napkin quick. There’s a turd floating in the air,” according to a transcript of the flight logs.
Since their introduction on NASA’s Skylab space station in 1973, space toilets have been fraught with difficulty.
Astronauts had to train on Earth beforehand, even using an underseat camera to accomplish their goal of opening a four-inch toilet. Despite respecting their expertise, astronaut Mike Massimino still compared the experience to “riding a helicopter bike.”
“I think of Peter Fonda in Easy Rider,” he said of the primitive space toilet. “This is the right position for me.”
The toilet on the Orion is technically called a “hygiene bay” and is similar in size to the toilet on a passenger jet.
To use it, astronauts use leg restraints to hold them in place, while airflow is used to blow solid waste into a storage container.
For urination, each astronaut is equipped with their own personal funnel with a fan that draws the liquid into the tank.
In the cramped conditions on the spacecraft – about the size of two SUV cars – mission specialist Jeremy Hansen described the toilet as “a place we can go on our mission where we can feel alone for a moment”.
Toilet problems weren’t the only problem faced by astronauts on their 10-day mission to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972.
The crew apparently had difficulty finding their pajamas, as they prepared to go to bed when Commander Reid Wiseman asked about the location of the “comfort clothes.”
Some time ago, he also requested technical support for a non-working PCD (personal computing device), including Outlook email account issues.
Apart from these minor hiccups, the mission was forced to deal with a number of technical problems as it launched into orbit at 17,000 mph – 22 times the speed of sound.
The valve connecting the two sets of water tanks had to be reset when it was found to be stuck when it was open – possibly a result of the violence of the launch.
Crew members prepare for the launch of Artemis II – via NASA TV/Reuters
Engineers also contended with minor electronics problems similar to those experienced with the 2022 Artemis I launch — where a component briefly tripped as a result of radiation — underscoring the challenges of a manned test flight.
A series of technical hiccups in the hours before the launch threatened to derail plans when problems were discovered with the flight termination system – which destroys the rocket when it is derailed – and the battery for the launch cancellation system, which moves the capsule away from danger if there is a problem.
Lift-off was ultimately delayed by only 10 minutes, however, as the engineers were “quick on their feet” after the problem was resolved, an official later said.
The massive 322-foot-tall Space Launch System rocket lifted off at 11:35 p.m. (6:35 p.m. EDT) Wednesday.
The spacecraft will remain close to Earth until Friday, when astronauts will test the capsule in orbit before firing the main engine to take it to the moon.
The capsule has traveled 40,000 miles from Earth and still has about 220,000 miles to go to reach the Moon.
After the launch, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said America was taking “another leap forward” and vowed that “America will never leave the moon again.”
Donald Trump, the US President, said that the country is “a winner, in space, on Earth and in between – economically, militarily, and now, beyond the stars”.
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