Space Station in deep S***

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Space Station in deep S***

Postby kenneth delves on Wed May 28, 2008 3:59 pm

Space Station's Toilet Needs a Plumber
AP
Posted: 2008-05-28 14:10:15
Filed Under: Science News
WASHINGTON (May 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 a jury-rigged system when they need to urinate.


A Glitch at the Space StationNASA-MSFCThe daily routine on the international space station has hit a snag -- the spacecraft's only toilet is on the blink. But the shuttle Discovery is scheduled to blast off Saturday for the station, and shuttle astronauts may be able to fix it.
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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 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.


They used a Russian toilet?
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Re: Space Station in deep S***

Postby Darth Rock&Roll on Wed May 28, 2008 5:34 pm

Actually, there is an amazing amount of russian know how employed on the ISS. they ahve solved quite a few problems as have the CSA and ESA.

It is an "international" space station after all.
probably mans best effort at global co-operation to date.

moon bases next then mars! then we can colonize other worlds and ensure the ultimate survival of our species until the iminent implosion of the universe! hooray!
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Re: Space Station in deep S***

Postby bigphatwong on Fri May 30, 2008 4:36 pm

Hmmm, sounds like an urgent situation. I wonder if Roto Rooter makes interplanetary calls...

I knew a guy who went to the NASA space camp one year, and when he came back he was telling me about this device they use on board the Space Shuttle called "Mr. Thirsty". It's basically this big vacuum cleaner that you hold up to your butt, and it stores and processes the sewage in a huge septic tank. Supposedly it earned its name due to the high volume of suction it employs. Go figure. ???


No pun intended, but that's some impressive shit.
Last edited by bigphatwong on Fri May 30, 2008 4:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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