The International Space Station's online toilet breaks down

Dan · May 28, 2008

Space station crew to NASA: Send plumber soon

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The international space station's lone toilet is broken, leaving the crew with almost nowhere to go. So NASA may order an in-orbit plumbing service call when space shuttle Discovery visits next week.

Until then, the three-man crew will have to make do with a jury-rigged system when they need to urinate.

While one of the crew was using the Russian-made toilet last week, the toilet motor fan stopped working, according to NASA. Since then, the liquid waste gathering part of the toilet has been working on-and-off. Fortunately, the solid waste collecting part is functioning normally. Russian officials don't know the cause of the problem and the crew has been unable to fix it.

The crew has used the toilet on the Soyuz return capsule, but it has a limited capacity. They are now are using a back-up bag-like collection system that can be connected to the broken toilet, according to NASA public affairs officials.

"Like any home anywhere the importance of having a working bathroom is obvious," NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said.

The 7-year-old toilet has broken once before but not for as long a time, said Johnson Space Center spokeswoman Nicole Cloutier in Houston.

Discovery is already set for launch Saturday with a planned docking with the space station on Monday. Cloutier said NASA officials are considering having some parts flown to Cape Canaveral and placed in the shuttle during its countdown, an unusual and delicate situation. Because the shuttle's payload weight is limited and balance carefully calculated, it will be tricky to try to figure out where the parts can go, said Kennedy Space Center spokesman Bill Johnson

Discovery's main payload, a 32,000-pound Japanese laboratory addition, is so big that the shuttle's boom sensor system had to be removed to make room for the lab.

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On the Net:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov
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source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SPACE_TOILET?SITE=VAWAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

talk about being in "deep shit" lol

kontradictions · May 28, 2008

Fncking owned...

Aoes · May 28, 2008

i'm still kinda curious how zero g affects my aim

robsh · May 28, 2008

this is one good reason u dont wanna be in space
yeh bring up those supply of diapers

xmichelly · May 29, 2008

how come i always end up reading about bathroom related stuff when i'm eating -sick2

Aoes · May 29, 2008

haha that's cuz u eat while u pa...

Knoctur_nal · May 29, 2008

intergalactic shit they be in.

shw · May 29, 2008

they should open a window. problem solved:wiggle:

Chibi12 · May 29, 2008

wow, dnt wana be in that situation, nt like they cn call in a plumber n get it sorted straight away, but at least solid waste cn still be flushed, dnt wana be in their shoes if that goes too!!

BigM · May 29, 2008

shw said: ↑

they should open a window. problem solved:wiggle:
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Wouldn't the poo be a flying, moving, smelling hazard?

ChilliChidori · May 29, 2008

BigM said: ↑

Wouldn't the poo be a flying, moving, smelling hazard?
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The best souvenir and example for the aliens to analyse us! -whistle

The International Space Station's online toilet breaks down

Dan 8-D

kontradictions Well-Known Member

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Aoes Well-Known Member

Knoctur_nal |Force 10 from Navarone|

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