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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Space station toilet on the fritz |
| 2008-05-28 |
| The international space station's lone toilet is broken, leaving the crew with almost nowhere to go. So NASA may order an in-orbit plumbing service call when space shuttle Discovery visits next week. Until then, the three-man crew will have to make do with While one of the crew was using the Russian-made toilet last week, the toilet motor fan stopped working, according to NASA. Since then, the liquid waste gathering part of the toilet has been working on-and-off. Fortunately, the solid waste collecting part is functioning normally. Russian officials don't know the cause of the problem, and the crew has been unable to fix it. The crew has used the toilet on the Soyuz return capsule, but it has a limited capacity. They now are using a backup bag-like collection system that can be connected to the broken toilet, according to NASA public affairs officials. "Like any home anywhere, the importance of having a working bathroom is obvious," NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said. Well, it may be a little bit more important in space, actually. The 7-year-old toilet has broken once before but not for as long a time, said Johnson Space Center spokeswoman Nicole Cloutier in Houston. Are we learning yet? Discovery is already set for launch Saturday, with a planned docking with the space station Monday. Cloutier said NASA officials are considering having some parts flown to Cape Canaveral, Florida, and placed in the shuttle during its countdown, an unusual and delicate situation. Because the shuttle's payload weight is limited and balance carefully calculated, it will be tricky to try to figure out where the parts can go, said Kennedy Space Center spokesman Bill Johnson Oh, Bullshi+. Just stick them in the middle somewhere. Discovery's main payload, a 32,000-pound Japanese laboratory addition, is so big that the shuttle's boom sensor system had to be removed to make room for the lab. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #10 I guess taking a leak in outer space is called a oh-gee-whiz. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-05-28 20:58 |
| #9 "Here's a plastic bag and some duct tape. Use airlock #2, please." |
| Posted by: mojo 2008-05-28 15:59 |
| #8 ...no gravity in space... Actually, they have micro-gravity. Does that mean she would have to wear micro-fiber pants for them to be effected? *ducks* |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-05-28 15:49 |
| #7 Sorry, no gravity in space to pull the plumber's pants down. Does that mean she'd have to have rubber bands attached to pull them down while she's working? |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-05-28 15:45 |
| #6 "As an amusing side note, an American female astronaut is also a trained plummer and will try to fix it next time the Space Shuttle docks." FA, you left out the obvious joke: whould anybody complain about the way her pants hung?? |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2008-05-28 14:22 |
| #5 how much could a new toilet for space mass? Just put one in the passenger baggage area of the shuttle. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-05-28 12:26 |
| #4 As an amusing side note, an American female astronaut is also a trained plummer and will try to fix it next time the Space Shuttle docks. Any thoughts on the cost per hour? Al |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2008-05-28 11:37 |
| #3 DV has a point. Why is there only one toilet? Seems 'mission critical' to me and there should be a redundant back up. Perhaps the ISS requires a lavatory module, rather than incorporating ONE toilet into already cramped space. |
| Posted by: Ike 2008-05-28 11:12 |
| #2 So? They can just poop out the window. Seriously, this is why you don't have Russian equipment with you and you don't have a station designed by committee. And why the hell is there only one toilet? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-05-28 07:48 |
| #1 Astronauts are getting pissed about it. |
| Posted by: JFM 2008-05-28 07:34 |