How Do Astronauts Use The Bathroom In Space

Skylab was the usa s first space station and operated between 1973 and 1974.

How do astronauts use the bathroom in space. The space toilets are far smaller than the toilets on earth so this sort of target practice was crucial to ensure that astronauts didn t accidentally turn the shuttle into a literal shit show. Astronauts jump into a round curtained chamber to shower. Although the toilet itself looks like a slightly higher tech version of its counterparts here on earth it s designed a bit differently.

While the astronauts who lived and worked up there weren t wearing space suits most of the time they still had to deal with zero gravity not to mention a lack of normal plumbing fixtures. When they re done the machine suctions up all the water droplets from their shower. A space shuttle toilet simulator.

The scoop on space poop. So how do astronauts go to the bathroom in space. Each spacecraft comes equipped with a unisex toilet.

How astronauts go potty. Astronauts spend a lot of time in training sitting on space toilets to learn how to create a strong seal and how to align themselves properly. In houston the johnson space center has a bathroom.

To go to the bathroom on the iss astronauts go into one of the two toilets either on the american side or the u s. For nasa astronauts there are actually two space shuttle toilet stations in the training room a positional trainer for practice and a functional trainer which flushes. After closing the door for privacy there are different procedures.

Mark roberts a tour guide at the intrepid air space museum in new york gives a talk about going to the bathroom in space on july 25 2013. Dave mosher the toilet system still wasn t that easy to use the opening was less than 4 inches wide about a quarter of the size of a regular toilet hole.