W EEKLY EDITION NOV 16, 2016
P AGE 8
Operation Outer Space Outhouse
The process of peeing when gravity is lacking, and how astronauts handle a toilet bowl breakdown.
If you've ever fantasized about living in space, chances are you
have not sat down and sorted out something as simple as how
you would handle a bathroom break. Not to worry, because
those who have lived on the International Space Station have
already blown the lid off this standard question. And according
to veteran astronaut Mike Fossum, this inquiry seems to come up
quite a bit.
Fossum explains how different procedures are used for urination
versus solid waste, with the urine being suctioned into a hos e
where it is recycled and cleaned for drinking water. Solid waste is
put inside a plastic bag before being inserted into a holding tank
container, emptied every 10 days. While space certainly seems
foreign, these processes don't seem to differ drastically from portable sanitation here on Earth.
Similarly, just as toilets – both portable and permanent – require maintenance when gravity is involved, the same can
be said for space units. With breakdowns occurring roughly once a month, these astronauts have l earned to never
take a working commode for granted. READ THE STORY
