Just a few hours after the Artemis II mission achieved its remarkable lunar flyby, the crew faced an issue with the Orion spacecraft’s advanced toilet system.
Christina Koch, the only female crew member on this 10-day mission, was the first to alert mission control about the malfunction shortly after their stunning launch from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday night.
“The toilet fan seems to be clogged,” reported NASA spokesperson Gary Jordan during the live broadcast. “Currently, the ground team is working on instructions for cleaning the fan area to get the toilet operational again.”
According to Norm Knight, NASA’s director of flight operations, the malfunction stemmed from a problem with the toilet controller. However, officials reassured that, for solid waste disposal, the toilet remains functional.
“The toilet’s capabilities for collecting fecal matter, along with its special features, will still be utilized within Orion’s waste management system,” Jordan added.
Meanwhile, the astronauts relied on “urine-specific waste management capabilities” to prepare for any unexpected scenarios.
Hours after Koch notified mission control, the team provided her with guidance to reopen the restroom. “Houston, integrity, good checkout,” she communicated back as she drifted through space, trying to implement the fix.
“I’m happy to say that the restrooms are operational now,” replied Mission Control’s Capcom, Amy Dill. “We suggest allowing the system to reach its operating speed before use and running it for a bit afterward.”
A new toilet on the 330-cubic-foot Integrity spacecraft gives the astronauts a bit of privacy during their moon mission.
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen mentioned in a video tour before the launch, “We’re quite fortunate to have a toilet with a door on this spacecraft. It’s the only place we can go during a mission and feel a little alone.”
In microgravity, astronauts enter a cubicle about the size of a phone booth, using a hose to take care of urine disposal and an industrial toilet seat for solid waste.
“The fecal matter is drawn into a bag at the bottom, which you seal and then push into the container,” Hansen described, noting these sealed canisters will be sent back to Earth for disposal after the mission concludes.
During this process, urine is directed into a different cavity.
