Astronauts on Artemis II have encountered a strange burning smell emanating from the advanced toilet system, valued at $23 million, which failed shortly after takeoff.
“In terms of smell, we wanted to make sure you guys are following the EGS notes of a burning heater smell that came out of the toilet several times,” astronaut Krisna Koch communicated to air traffic controllers on Saturday. She had repaired the toilet the previous Thursday, as reported by space dot com.
“It was never determined what exactly it was as a source, but it was identified as an unknown odor,” Koch noted.
According to the crew’s report, the odor resembled that of an old electric heater that hadn’t been used in a while.
Follow the latest updates on NASA’s Artemis launch:
NASA flight controllers initially speculated that the mysterious burning smell might be linked to the orange insulation in the bathroom sanitary room door.
The crew received clearance to keep using the toilet, with air traffic controllers assuring them there were no “major concerns” regarding the reported odor.
After the launch on April 1, there was a problem with the urine hose in the upper waste management system, which Koch was able to address the following day.
