NASA is launching a brand new toilet worth $23 million to the International Space Station (ISS).
It’s not always easy for astronauts floating in a microgravity environment to answer the call of nature. For astronauts comfort onboard the ISS, and also to do a better job of recycling waste, NASA is launching this new toilet.
The New space toilet is smaller, better smelling, and more female-friendly
The multimillion-dollar space toilet is known as the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS).
Designed with astronaut feedback in mind, it is 65% smaller and 40% lighter than the present toilet in ISS. It is made from titanium and is designed for larger crews. Moreover, the toilet was designed considering the comfort of the female member as well.
The latest design further improved the existing pretreat system. That used to collect and treat astronauts’ urine before it is processed and recycled for reclaimed water.
Image courtesy: NASA
New space toilet will be used in future missions to the moon and mars
The toilet is designed considering the upcoming missions to Mars and Moon in mind. The astronauts onboard the ISS will test how the toilet works in the unique environment at the station.
NASA Advanced Exploration Systems Logistics Reduction project manager Melissa McKinley said, “The toilet was designed for exploration and it builds on previous spaceflight toilet design,”
“The big key to the exploration piece of the design is looking to optimize mass volume and power usage, which are all very important components of a spacecraft design.”
