From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A space toilet, or zero gravity
toilet, is a toilet that can be used in a low gravity
environment. In the absence of gravity the collection and retention
of liquid and solid waste is directed by use of air flow. Since the
air used to direct the waste is returned to the cabin, it is
filtered beforehand to control odor and cleanse bacteria. In older
systems, waste water is vented into space and any solids are
compressed and stored for removal upon landing. More modern systems
expose solid waste to vacuum to kill bacteria, which prevents odor
problems and kills pathogens.
Mission Specialist Claude Nicollier reviews the repair manual for
the WCS on STS-46
Current
designs
Space Shuttle Waste
Collection System
The toilet used on the Space Shuttle is called the Waste
Collection System (WCS). In addition to air flow, it also
uses rotating fans to distribute solid waste for in-flight storage.
Solid waste is distributed in a cylindrical container which is then
exposed to vacuum to dry the waste.[1][2]
Liquid waste is vented to space. During STS-46, one of the fans malfunctioned, and crew
member Claude
Nicollier was required to perform in-flight maintenance (IFM).
An earlier, complete failure, on the eight-day STS-3 test flight, forced its two-man crew (Jack
Lousma and Gordon Fullerton) to use the much-hated
"Apollo Bag" for waste elimination and disposal.
Diagram of the elements of the Space Shuttle WCS
[3]
International Space
Station
The toilet on the International Space Station
located in the Zvezda module uses a fan-driven suction
system similar to the Space Shuttle WCS. Liquid waste is
collected in 20 litre containers. Solid waste is collected in
individual micro-perforated bags which are stored in an aluminum
container.[4]
Full containers are transferred to Progress for
disposal. An additional Waste and Hygiene
Compartment is scheduled be part of the Node
3 module to be launched in 2010. In 2007, NASA purchased a
Russian-made toilet similar to the one already aboard ISS rather
than develop one internally.[5]
On May 21, 2008, the 7-year-old toilet's gas liquid separator
pump failed, although the solid waste portion is still functioning.
The crew attempted replacing various parts, but was unable to
repair the malfunctioning part. In the interim, they used a manual
mode for urine collection.[6] The
crew has other options: use the toilet on the Soyuz transport module (which only has capacity
for a few days of use) or to use urine collection bags as
needed.[7] A
replacement pump was sent from Russia in a diplomatic pouch
so that Space Shuttle Discovery could
take it to the station as part of mission STS-124 on June 2.[8][9][10]
Other
spacecraft
The Soviet/Russian Space Station Mir's toilet also used a system similar
to the WCS.[11]
While the Soyuz spacecraft had an onboard toilet
facility since its introduction in 1967 (due to the additional
space in the Orbital Module), all Gemini and Apollo spacecraft
required astronauts to urinate in a so-called "relief tube," in
which the contents were dumped into space (an example would be the
urine dump seen in the movie Apollo 13),
while fecal matter were collected in specially-designed bags known
as "Apollo Bags," which were a bane to all crew members. The Skylab space station, used by
NASA between May, 1973 and March, 1974, had an onboard WCS facility
which served as a prototype for the Shuttle's WCS, but also
featured an onboard shower facility. The Skylab toilet, which was
designed and built by the Fairchild Republic Corp. on Long Island,
was primarily a medical system to collect and return to earth
samples of urine, feces and vomit so that calcium balance in
astronauts could be studied.
Even with the facilities, astronauts and cosmonauts for both
launch systems employ pre-launch bowel clearing and low-residue
diets to minimize the need for defecation.[12] The
Soyuz toilet has been used on a return mission from Mir.[11]
NPP Zvezda is a
Russian developer of space equipment, which includes zero gravity
toilets ([13]). The
recently (2008) failed unit aboard the ISS was of this type.
See also
References
- ^ Mellette, Robert (1987-06-03). "Space Shuttle Science".
Curriculum Unit 87.06.03. http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1987/6/87.06.03.x.html. Retrieved
2006-12-21.
- ^ NASA (2002-04-07). "HSF - The Shuttle - Waste
Collection System". http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/eclss/wcs.html. Retrieved
2006-12-21.
- ^ NASA (2001-11-15). "Configuration Changes and
Certification Status - Shuttle Urine Pre-treat Assembly".
STS-108 Flight Readiness Review.
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/news/columbia/frr/sts-108/12_vehicle.pdf. Retrieved
2006-12-28.
- ^ Lu, Ed (2003-09-08). "HSF - International Space
Station - "Greetings Earthling"". http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/exp7/luletters/lu_letter9.html. Retrieved
2006-12-21.
- ^ Fareastgizmos.com (2007-07-06). ""19 million US Dollars for a
space station toilet"". http://www.fareastgizmos.com/other_stuff/19_million_us_dollars_for_a_space_station_toilet.php. Retrieved
2007-07-09.
- ^
"Toilet trouble for space
station". BBC News. 2008-05-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7425180.stm. Retrieved
2010-01-04.
- ^
"Space station struggles with balky toilet". http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24841375/.
- ^
"Astronauts To Fix Space
Station Toilet". http://www.local6.com/technology/16402637/detail.html.
- ^
"ISS - Zvezda Bathroom Repairs
and Shuttle Preps for Crew". http://spacefellowship.com/News/?p=5448.
- ^
"Space Station Toilet Parts
Set for Liftoff". http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1407194/space_station_toilet_parts_set_for_liftoff.
- ^ a
b
Shuttleworth, Mark (2002-02-09). "Toilet Training".
First African in Space. http://www.firstafricaninspace.com/home/mission/logs/1/20020209.shtml. Retrieved
2006-12-28.
- ^
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/low-residue-diet.html
- ^
http://www.zvezda-npp.ru/engl/asy.html
Assenisation Sanity Unit ASU-8A
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