In Space, No One Can Hear You Flush

Toilet On International Space Station Broken; NASA To Send Plumber Next Week

(AP)  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 a jury-rigged system when they need to urinate.

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 do not 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 are now are using a back-up 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.

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.

Discovery is already set for launch Saturday with a planned docking with the space station on Monday. Cloutier said NASA officials are considering having some parts flown to Cape Canaveral 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

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.

[michellem99-2009]

They don''t have a back up john/loo. sShould gace a 3rd one,

[acolton1]

Just poop on a piece of paper and blow it out the air lock.

[rf35]

The gravity issue cuts down options for emergency relief. Otherwise, any empty water bottle would do fine.

[jerr11]

"In Space, No One Can Hear You Flush"



Good, let''s send G W Bush there.

He''s been flushing his mouth long enough here.

[fstop100]

Our tax dollars at work.

[haoli25]

The women astronauts must have been using that ''beehive'' of toilet paper. lol

[samrensho]

Just send up Senator Larry Craig - he knows ALL about toilets.

jury-rigged? They are not saying that right. They just want to be kind to the Germans. It was called for many years gerry-rigged. In retaliation to the germans during WWII...and we all know the worse one, which I will NOT repeat...

[Gary Kempf]

The only toilet on the international space station is broken. NASA says it will send a plumber with the space shuttle Discovery, when it visits the station next week. (AP Photo/NASA)

Since a plumber has a minimum service charge to just show up. What is NASA paying for this ?

[jetlizhan]

this story stinks!!!

[whatinthewld]

Do they have to take turns eating because they only have one set of special dishes to eat from, one bottle of water to share?

[whatinthewld]

Why only ONE toilet? That is absolutely rediculous. I won''t be surprised if they run out of food one of these days and have to ration a Mars chocolate bar. the the headlines will read "Space station out of food, but they should receive food next week when the Space Shuttle arrives."

[deacon20081]

Uh Oh...sounds like a bunch of crapper jokes coming up

[wistjohn1962]

Well, there is always the space shuttle. Just fire up an APU and shut the blinds.

[msmellymel]

Stay away from the bean burritos!

[ubrew12]

"In Space, No One Can Hear You Flush"

Or, as Picard (Star Trek, Next Generation) would say:

''You have command! Number Two!''

[brianbwb-2009]

The world''s smartest people design a multi occupant space station with only one toilet?

Real smart there guys, even I could have done better than that.

[haoli25]

That''s it, no more Polish food for the space station!