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Let's talk space toilets

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Re: Let's talk space toilets

#31

Post by Groxx »

jotux wrote: post #8
detourdog wrote: post #5

I was surprised there were no pictures of the actual toilets. Would love more but found this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_toilet

Some info on the new one: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/artemis-iis-toile... https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20220005710/downloads/NA...

So... it's essentially the same thing that has been on the ISS for three or four years?

Re: Let's talk space toilets

#32

Post by gwbas1c »

the_af wrote: post #4

This story of space toilers clears out many questions I had about spaceflight and... uh, going number 2. Namely: astronauts try NOT to as much as they can, and when they do go, it's a mess for both them and their crew mates. They suffer through it because being in space is a worthy achievement. Apparently it's such a mess that NASA estimates this is why astronauts tend to undereat. Apparently Gemini 7's Frank Borman…

On Apollo 13, after the accident, the margins for propellent were so low that the astronauts had to drink very little. Nasa was afraid that venting the pee would set their trajectory off course.

One of the astronauts got an infection from dehydration as a result.

Re: Let's talk space toilets

#33

Post by idlewords »

yshamrei wrote: post #12
ooterness wrote: post #10

Is it simpler to build a better space toilet, or to build a ship with centrifugal gravity and use a regular toilet?

There are two issues: - To build a centrifuge in space of sufficient size, you need to solve the problem of delivering a large amount of materials to orbit, because it has to be hundreds of meters in diameter at least. - Such a centrifuge will create a gyroscopic effect, and the station will quickly become very difficult to control.

You can try it with small capsules and tethers, but it's still a pain.

Re: Let's talk space toilets

#34

Post by VorpalWay »

yshamrei wrote: post #12
ooterness wrote: post #10

Is it simpler to build a better space toilet, or to build a ship with centrifugal gravity and use a regular toilet?

There are two issues: - To build a centrifuge in space of sufficient size, you need to solve the problem of delivering a large amount of materials to orbit, because it has to be hundreds of meters in diameter at least. - Such a centrifuge will create a gyroscopic effect, and the station will quickly become very difficult to control.

Couldn't you have two centrifuges next to each other spinning in opposite directions, cancelling most of the effect out? I believe some helicopters work like that, with two sets of rotors on longer troop transport helis. A few even have two sets on top of each other. And many planes have the props on opposite wings rotate in opposite directions.

Re: Let's talk space toilets

#36

Post by cobalt »

trollbridge wrote: post #26
cryzinger wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One popular "equivalent" for flush testing is a condom full of soybean paste (yum!) https://slate.com/technology/2025/02/toilets-low-flow-trump-...

I had a major plumbing problem once, in a rented commercial space. The toilet simply clogged constantly and I had to snake it almost every time. The landlord finally relented and had an expert plumber come out. The guy apparently had a master's degree in plumbing somehow (I thought he was joking but he had indeed put himself all the way into a master's level engineering degree, mostly as a hobby). He first got out hi…

this feels like a chute diameter issue, many older (cheaper?) ones are 2in, but high flow are 3in I believe

Re: Let's talk space toilets

#37

Post by fiftyacorn »

trollbridge wrote: post #26
cryzinger wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One popular "equivalent" for flush testing is a condom full of soybean paste (yum!) https://slate.com/technology/2025/02/toilets-low-flow-trump-...

I had a major plumbing problem once, in a rented commercial space. The toilet simply clogged constantly and I had to snake it almost every time. The landlord finally relented and had an expert plumber come out. The guy apparently had a master's degree in plumbing somehow (I thought he was joking but he had indeed put himself all the way into a master's level engineering degree, mostly as a hobby). He first got out hi…

My degree is chemical engineering and thats pretty close to a degree in plumbing

Re: Let's talk space toilets

#38

Post by classichasclass »

gritspants wrote: post #35

I've often wondered - what is the exact amount of vacuum (pressure?) that you can get away with without disemboweling someone?

A possible point of comparison might be pool drain injuries (a/k/a suction entrapment), and some of these have disemboweled people, though largely children. Vacuum toilets in cruise ships have also been implicated in such incidents (see, among others, https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/03/06/70-year-old-womans-i... ). A more, er, pressing concern in adults might be rectal prolapse.

Re: Let's talk space toilets

#40

Post by gambiting »

And as someone else said....the entire business would be solved if not for our cultural tabboo that requires astronauts to do the whole procedure by themselves. If you could have another crew member actively helping it would be done quicker in a much more hygenic way. But because it's "private" they have to do these crazy acrobatics to do it alone. And like, back on Earth nurses have to do much much worse stuff every day and no one considers that weird - it's just part of the job.
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