1 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey, brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: learn vogelbomb here. Some facts of life are universal, such 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: as everybody really does poop. When astronauts are orbiting hundreds 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: of miles above Earth's surface doing science, they still have 5 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: to take bathroom breaks. Of course, the mechanics of using 6 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: the toilet and disposing of the resulting waste in near 7 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: zero gravity can get a little tricky. So today, let's 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: take a trip down aerospace memory lane and learn about 9 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: some of the moments that have given astronauts the greatest 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: relief and aggravation over the years. America's historic first crude 11 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: space flight, undertaken by Alan B. Shepherd Junior, on May 12 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: fifth of nineteen sixty one, was only supposed to have 13 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: lasted fifteen minutes, but after weather and technical difficulties delayed 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: the flight for four hours, nature fitably called. With no 15 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: other option available, Shepherd was forced to urinate frighten his suit. 16 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: Since then, diaper type wearables modernly called maximum absorbency garments 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: have been used on many space missions, but once those 18 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: missions became longer, engineers had to equip spacecraft with real facilities. 19 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: NASA's Apollo program landed the first humans on the Moon, 20 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: but its missions had at least one serious design flaw 21 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: in its bathrooms. Urine collection was accomplished by placing a 22 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: condom like outfit over the astronaut's genitalia. The fitting attached 23 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: to a hose that released urine out of the side 24 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: of the spacecraft. The device was decidedly low tech and 25 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: could be downright painful. If the astronauts opened the valve 26 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: too soon before starting to urinate, the section would pull 27 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: their genitalia right into the hopes. Once the astronauts began 28 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: to urinate, the fitting would sometimes pop off, releasing a 29 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: spray of urine into the spacecraft. Considering the effects of 30 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: near zero gravity, it was a less than pleasant experience 31 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: for all on board, and defecation was even more work. 32 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: Astronauts had to tape a bag to their rear end. 33 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: Once they were finished, they had to open a capsule 34 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: of blue germicide in the bag and then mush everything together. 35 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: Crew Members on the Apollo seven mission wrote of the experience, 36 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: get naked, allow an hour, have plenty of tissues ready. 37 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: The bags were usually taken back to Earth for study. Later, 38 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: space toilets came equipped with a lap belt, handholds, and 39 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,799 Speaker 1: foot restraints to ensure that astronauts didn't float away mid stream. 40 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: A fan pulled urine feces into their respective collection containers. 41 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: A filter removed any unpleasant odors, hopefully before the air 42 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: was returned to the cabin. Of course, spacecraft only have 43 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: a limited amount of room aboard, so astronauts regularly had 44 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,119 Speaker 1: to lighten their load by releasing those collected waste products. 45 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: When urine is released out into space, it instantly freezes 46 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: into a cloud of ice crystals. The sight of the 47 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: sun hitting those droplets and transforming them into water vapor 48 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: is quite astounding, according to some observers. Apollo nine astronaut 49 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: Russell Schweickert once said the most beautiful sight in orbit 50 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: is a urine dump. At sunset, it instantly flashes into 51 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: ten million little ice crystals, which go out almost in 52 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: a hemisphere, a spray of sparklers. Almost. It isn't always 53 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: a semi celestial event, though. During a nineteen eighty four 54 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: mission on the Space Shuttle Discovery, the aircraft's wastewater venting 55 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: system failed, leading to the formation of a very large 56 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: icicle made of urine on the outside of the shuttle. 57 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: Realizing that the urine sickle might break free during re 58 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: entry and damage the protective heat tiles on the shuttle, 59 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: the crew used the shuttle's robot arm to break it off. 60 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: The tiles were saved, but the crew had no choice 61 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: but to shut the urine collection system down. The crisis 62 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: was averted, but the problem left the crew without a 63 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: working toilet for the rest of the six day mission, 64 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: and even when the facilities are in working order, politics 65 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,679 Speaker 1: have come into play. In two thousand and nine, Russian 66 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: cospnot Gnaldi Padalka complained to a newspaper that he wasn't 67 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: allowed to use the bathroom on the American side of 68 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: the International Space Station, but he wasn't blaming the Americans. 69 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: He cited the cause of the closed door policy as 70 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: Russia's moved to start charging NASA for resources used by 71 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: American astronauts back in two thousand and three. The United 72 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: States reciprocated by asking the Russians to keep out of 73 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: its facilities. Padelka told the newspaper that the bathroom shut 74 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: out and banashment from American exercise bikes was having a 75 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: real effect on his cosmonauts morale. From what I understand. 76 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: A new more female friendly toilet sent up in twenty twenty, 77 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: is available to all, though visitors from one side to 78 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: the other might still do the space equivalent of a 79 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: neighborly knock first. This also applies when a toilet on 80 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: one side or the other goes on the fritz. Fixing 81 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: them on the fly literally isn't as easy as calling 82 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: a plumber back on Earth. Though new models are being 83 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: made with three D printed parts to make repairs a 84 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 1: bit more plug and play, these facilities are expensive to 85 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: develop and install. The most involved upgrade to NASA space toilets, 86 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: first announced in two thousand and eight, was an investment 87 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: of around two hundred and fifty million dollars. Its fanciest feature, 88 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: it turns urine into drinking water. This pricey water processor 89 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 1: not only filters water from urine, but also makes sweat 90 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: and moisture from hanging wet towels pottable. NASA officials say 91 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: that the converted water is cleaner than the tap water 92 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: in the US, which might say more about our infrastructure 93 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: than our urine, and that the device conserves seven tons 94 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: of water each year. In contrast, the new UNISEX toilet 95 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: cost Amere twenty three million. It's forty percent lighter, sixty 96 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: five percent smaller, and much more energy efficient. A NASA astronaut, 97 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: Jessica Meir said in a press release. We recycle about 98 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,119 Speaker 1: ninety percent of all water based liquids on the space station, 99 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: including urinin sweat. What we try to do aboard the 100 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: space station is mimic elements of Earth's natural water cycle 101 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: to reclaim water from the air and when it comes 102 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: to our urine on ISS, Today's coffee is tomorrow's coffee. 103 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: Recycling will be the key to future missions that send 104 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: humans deeper into space for longer amounts of time, as 105 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: there will often be no other water sources available. Today's 106 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: episode is based on the article top ten Moments in 107 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 1: Space bathroom History on HowStuffWorks dot com, written by Stephanie Watson. 108 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with how 109 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: Stuffworks dot Com, and it is produced by Tyler Klang. 110 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 1: Four more podcasts my heart Radio visit the iHeartRadio app, 111 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.