NASA’s Latest Space Toilet Offers More Comfort and Improved Efficiency in Deep Space Missions

Has the thought about astronauts going to the bathroom ever crossed your mind? Yeah, things float in space. You get the idea, don’t you?

I hate to break it to you, but it’s not going to float to some extent, you know, their—you get my point. To get around the difficulty of zero-gravity bathroom breaks, NASA has sent their latest toilet design to help astronauts get comfy when doing their “thing.”

The Universal Waste Management System or UWMS is the first space toilet designed specifically for women as well as men. It can be integrated into a different life support system and spacecraft—credits to the designers. On platforms such as the International Space Station, where astronauts work and live for extended periods of time, UWMS will supply pre-treated urine into a regenerative system that recycles water for further use. It was mainly designed to address astronauts’ feedback about the ease of use and comfort. The design is also 40% lighter and 65% smaller than the previous build.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir explained that they recycle about 90% of all water-based liquids on the space station, including urine and sweat. In reducing the need to launch supplemental water from Earth, the regenerative life support system is vital to a great degree. The roundtrip mission to Mars will take about two years, and the UWMS will be of paramount importance to all the crew on the flight. With that in mind, NASA aims to reach a 98% recycling rate before having their first manned missions aboard a Mars space transport. Currently, the International Space Station is the only in-space test location in validating long-term recycling systems and life support.

How does a space toilet work?

As we all know, space lacks gravity. With the absence of downward force, toilets in the space station use airflow to pull urine and excrement away from the body and into a designated receptacle—a degree of ingenuity is at play here. A new addition to the new UWMS design is the automatic function of airflow when the toilet lid is raised, which also helps in odor control. The new ergonomic design is incorporated as well as a result of the astronauts’ request, requiring less clean-up and maintenance time. The designers ensured that the system has durable parts to reduce the likelihood of repair outside the scheduled maintenance.

When astronauts want to take a leak, they use a specially designed funnel and hose, while a seat for excreting is also available—perhaps astronauts have their own plumbing services. Kidding aside, both the funnel and bowel seat can be used simultaneously, reflecting on the female astronauts’ feedback. The UWMS seat may look relatively small and pointy, but it’s ideal in microgravity, providing sufficient body contact.

The system includes handholds for astronauts to keep themselves from floating away as well as foot restraints. Astronauts have their own way of positioning themselves when they use the bathroom. The old design included a strap, which proved to be a hassle, according to their feedback.

Wipes, toilet paper, and gloves are disposed of in a water-tight bag, while solid wastes in individual water-tight bags are compacted in a removable excrement storage canister. Some of the canisters are returned to Earth for evaluation, but most of them are loaded in a cargo ship which burns up on re-entry through the Earth’s atmosphere. Although water recovery from excrement is not processed, NASA is studying this possibility—investment planning is probably underway.

Every part of the water cycle is critical for survival in space habitation and exploration. Advances in technology contribute to a great degree in making a pivotal difference in mission efficiency and success. As mankind once again prepares to send humans back to the moon – and a high probability of a manned mission to Mars – life support systems will play a significant role in keeping the astronauts safe and healthy as they work, live, and explore farther from Earth than ever before.