SouthernWorldwide.com – The astronauts of the Artemis II mission have shed light on how they managed the inevitable toilet troubles experienced during their groundbreaking lunar journey, addressing queries from children during a live “CBS Mornings” segment.
These plumbing issues quickly became a prominent news item during the initial stages of the Artemis mission. The crew encountered intermittent problems with the toilet system from the very first day of their voyage.
The initial difficulties stemmed from issues with the system’s fan. Once these were resolved, a new problem emerged: the vent line responsible for expelling waste into space froze. This blockage rendered the waste tank unable to empty.
To overcome this, NASA’s flight controllers took action by reorienting the Orion capsule. This maneuver allowed sunlight to warm the frozen vent, effectively clearing the clog.
During a town hall event held on Friday morning, a 9-year-old named Bridget posed a direct question to the crew about their approach to the plumbing malfunctions.
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“What did you do when the toilet broke? Did you just let it fly around?” she inquired, prompting laughter from both the astronauts and the audience.
Mission specialist Christina Koch explained that while she and her fellow astronauts, along with NASA engineers, were actively working on a solution, the crew aboard the Orion capsule utilized backup methods to maintain hygiene.
“Everything on the spaceship usually has a backup system, so luckily the engineers planned for that and we used our backup system,” Koch stated. “We got through it. It wasn’t as easy as our fancy, good toilet, but we made do.”
The backup system in question consisted of “contingency collapsible urinals,” or CCUs. These are plastic containers designed to collect urine, which can then be vented into space at a later time. Each crew member is equipped with two of these units, as previously reported by CBS News.
Veteran astronaut Don Pettit commented on X, noting that the CCUs effectively replace approximately 25 pounds of diapers. This highlights the practical considerations and ingenuity involved in space missions.
Each Artemis II crew member has two collapsible contingency urinals, or CCUs, for use when their Orion capsule’s toilet is not available. The CCUs can vent waste water overboard independent of the toilet.
NASA
Earlier in the town hall, pilot Victor Glover shared a lighthearted remark about the situation. He joked that with “the challenges we had, we were constantly thinking about the constellation Urion,” a playful reference to frozen urine droplets that remain in space after being vented.
Further questions regarding the astronauts’ hygiene practices arose during the town hall. “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King expressed her curiosity about how they managed to stay clean in orbit.
“How do you stay clean up there?” King asked. “Showers, birdbaths?”
“I think showers in space are great,” Koch responded. “Floating, water.”
Watch the full episode, “Things That Matter: A Town Hall with the Artemis Astronauts,” here.
