How Do Astronauts Go To The Bathroom In Space?
QUICK ANSWER
ISS astronauts use specialized toilets that use suction instead of gravity to handle waste. There's a urine hose with a funnel attachment and a separate suction toilet for solid waste. Urine is filtered and recycled into drinking water on the ISS, while solid waste is stored and eventually burned up in disposable cargo capsules.
Going to the bathroom in space is one of the more practical engineering challenges of human spaceflight. Without gravity, waste doesn't fall down, so toilets need other ways to handle it. The ISS uses specialized toilets that rely on suction, with separate systems for liquid and solid waste. The systems are surprisingly sophisticated, including water recycling that turns urine into drinking water.
How does a space toilet work?
Suction does the job that gravity does on Earth. According to NASA, ISS toilets use vacuum suction to draw waste away from the user and into storage. There are separate systems for liquid and solid waste. Urine is collected through a hose with a funnel attachment that can be used by male or female astronauts (the funnels are different shapes for each). Solid waste is collected in a separate seat-like toilet with similar suction. Foot restraints help astronauts stay in place during use.
Where does the waste go?
Different places for different types. Urine is filtered through a sophisticated water recovery system that produces clean drinking water; the ISS recycles about 98 percent of water, including from urine. The recycled water becomes part of the crew's drinking supply, though understandably this took some getting used to. Solid waste is collected in bags and stored, then loaded into disposable cargo capsules that burn up in Earth's atmosphere when they're sent back. Nothing is dumped overboard.
What about during spacewalks?
Astronauts wear adult diapers. Spacewalks (called extravehicular activities or EVAs) can last 6-8 hours, far longer than astronauts can comfortably hold their bladders. Modern spacesuits include adult-style absorbent garments worn underneath. The garments can absorb up to a liter of liquid, more than enough for a single EVA. Astronauts typically use them during launches and landings as well, where reaching a toilet isn't possible. NASA spent considerable effort developing comfortable versions for long EVAs.
Has anything ever gone wrong?
Plenty of stories exist. The ISS toilet has malfunctioned multiple times over the years, sometimes requiring emergency repairs or use of Russian-side toilets. Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts often share toilets when one side's system is down. Various spacecraft toilets have had memorable failures, including some that resulted in floating waste, much to the chagrin of nearby crew. The current ISS toilets are reliable but require regular maintenance to keep working in the unusual microgravity conditions.
ISS astronauts use specialized suction-based toilets that handle both liquid and solid waste. Urine is recycled into drinking water through sophisticated filtration; solid waste is stored and burned up in cargo capsules. During spacewalks, astronauts wear absorbent garments. The challenge of bathrooms in space might seem mundane, but the engineering is surprisingly sophisticated and has involved years of refinement.
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