Secrets Of Using Bathroom in Space Revealed
It’s the question that has been on the minds of school children (and many adults) for decades.
How do you go to the bathroom on the Space Shuttle while weightless?
Space.com reports on how to use the bathroom in space.
In a nutshell, as with most space shuttle techniques, the astronauts practice before they really need to go.
At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, NASA has set up training potties for practice. The astronauts are aiming for an opening only 4 inches wide when they are going #2. This requires being perfectly centered over the opening which requires some tight maneuvering.
But the astronaut has some high tech help during training if they unsure how they are positioned. There is a camera in the “toilet” rim pointed upward. If the astronaut is unsure, flipping a switch gives them a live view of their rear view and their alignment.
Solid waste must fall through the opening. Remember: no gravity in space applies to everything.
“If they’re [astronauts] not confident that they have good alignment … [they] can sit down on the seat, flip on the camera, and check to see if they’ve got it.”
Piers Sellers explains how he pushes against the top of the toilet to steady his aim. Michael Massimino says he grips it like a motorcycle. Steve Bowen, uses the low roof over the toilet for support.
Since the space shuttle program is winding down, the technique of using the toilet in space will be another casualty of man’s quest for new knowledge in the unknown frontier. However, this is one aspect of the space shuttle program that has not seen any practical applications on Earth.
