Just hours after launch, Artemis II astronauts face toilet trouble
What's the story
NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft, has hit a snag with its space toilet. The issue was reported within hours of launch that happened earlier today. Christina Koch, a mission specialist for Artemis II, flagged a problem while starting up part of the Orion capsule's Universal Waste Management System (toilet).
Issue details
Toilet fan jammed, says NASA
The toilet fan of the Orion capsule's Universal Waste Management System has been jammed. NASA spokesperson Gary Jordan confirmed the issue during live mission commentary and said ground teams are working on instructions to clear the area and revive the toilet for the mission. Despite this glitch, astronauts can still use the space commode for fecal collection but not urination at present.
Contingency plan
Backup waste management capabilities activated
In light of the toilet fan issue, NASA has activated backup waste management capabilities specifically for urine. "The fecal collection of the toilet, that specific capability, can still be used with the waste management system aboard Orion," Jordan said. This comes as a relief considering Apollo astronauts in the 1960s and 1970s had to pee and poop in plastic bags during their Moon missions.
Design features
How does the Orion capsule's toilet work?
The toilet on board Orion is a smaller, more compact version of the bathrooms on the International Space Station (ISS). It is built into the floor of the Orion capsule and gives Artemis II astronauts some privacy while using it. Despite being bigger than NASA's Apollo capsules, the interior of Orion has been compared to that of two SUVs.
Operation details
Here are some interesting facts about the toilet
The Artemis II astronauts use foot restraints to stay in place while using the toilet, which employs airflow to pull solid waste away from the body into a collection device. Each astronaut has their own personal funnel with a fan that pulls urine into a tank. Blaine Brown, Lockheed Martin's director of Orion spacecraft mechanical systems, emphasized its importance: "You can call it a luxury. Some call it a necessity."
Mission goals
About Artemis II mission
The Artemis II mission is a historic test flight that will take astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon. It is the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket that launched them. This mission is part of NASA's larger Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2028 and establish a permanent lunar base by 2032.