Why NASA designed a new $23 million space toilet?

The idea behind the toilet is that it can be incorporated into different spacecraft. It is 65 percent smaller and 40 percent lighter than the ISS’s current toilet. It can also recycle more urine. Equipment aboard the ISS recycles about 90 percent of all water-based liquids on the station, including urine and sweat.

How much is a toilet on the ISS?

NASA Has Just Unveiled a Brand-New Space Toilet—And It Costs $23 Million. An 8,000-pound cargo ship docked on the International Space Station Monday morning, bringing aboard a bevy of gourmet delights.

Is there a toilet on the ISS?

There are two toilets on the International Space Station, located in the Zvezda and Tranquility modules. They use a fan-driven suction system similar to the Space Shuttle WCS. Liquid waste is collected in 20-litre (5.3 US gal) containers.

How much did NASA’s new space toilet cost?

ORLANDO, Fla., June 7 (UPI) — Going to the bathroom at the International Space Station is about to get easier and cleaner with a new toilet system that cost NASA $23 million to develop.

How do they pee in space?

There are two parts: a hose with a funnel at the end for peeing and a small raised toilet seat for pooping. To pee, they can sit or stand and then hold the funnel and hose tightly against their skin so that nothing leaks out. To poop, astronauts lift the toilet lid and sit on the seat — just like here on Earth.

How does a NASA toilet work?

How do space toilets work? In the absence of gravity, space toilets use air flow to pull urine and feces away from the body and into the proper receptacles. A new feature of the UWMS is the automatic start of air flow when the toilet lid is lifted, which also helps with odor control.

How do they poop on the space station?

To poop, astronauts used thigh straps to sit on the small toilet and to keep a tight seal between their bottoms and the toilet seat. To get around the problems of zero-gravity bathroom breaks, the new toilet is a specially designed vacuum toilet.

Who invented the space toilet?

Don Rethke, a Granby resident, was a driving force behind the creation of a functional space station toilet concept as well as essential life-support equipment for NASA’s Apollo program during his 37 years at Hamilton Standard (now known as Hamilton Sundstrand) in Windsor Locks.

How do astronauts have a shower in space?

The astronauts wipe their body clean by using a wet towel, and wash their hair by using waterless shampoo. Since water does not flow in a zero-gravity environment, the astronauts cannot wash their hands under a faucet as you do on Earth. So, there are no sinks or showers inside the space shuttle.

What happens to human waste in space?

Sometimes, astronaut poop is brought back to Earth for scientists to study, but most of the time, bathroom waste – including poop – is burned. Poop is vacuumed into garbage bags which are put into airtight containers.