When NASA's Artemis II crew embarks on their historic 10-day journey to the moon—the first lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972—they will face a myriad of complex cosmic challenges. Among the most surprising? A remarkably loud bathroom.
According to crew member Christina Koch, relieving oneself aboard the Orion spacecraft requires a bit of extra preparation. Koch recently revealed that the crew had to tape bright orange foam over the bathroom's insulation to help dampen the intense noise of the zero-gravity toilet. Because the waste system relies on a powerful suction mechanism to function in microgravity, the roar is so deafening that astronauts are actually required to wear hearing protection just to use the facility.
"It's just another thing we have to coordinate with each other," Koch noted, adding that earplugs aren't the only adjustment. To avoid floating away mid-business, crew members must grip strategically placed handholds to keep themselves firmly anchored to the toilet seat.
Once the deed is done, waste management takes priority. Paul Boehm, who oversees life support and crew systems for the capsule, explained the intricate disposal process. Urine is collected in a specialized tank, temporarily stored, and eventually vented out into the vacuum of space. Solid waste, however, gets a return ticket. Fecal matter is deposited into a can, compressed, and sealed with odor-blocking filters so it can be safely transported back to Earth.
Maintaining the spacecraft's lavatory isn't exactly a glamorous job, but Boehm emphasized that the four-person team—which includes Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen—happily tackles the chore together. "They all take care of it because they have to," he said. "You're all in it together."
Furthermore, NASA has prepared the astronauts for potential plumbing disasters. If the primary toilet malfunctions, the crew is equipped with specially designed backup bags. Urine collected in these emergency bags can still be drained and vented overboard, while solid waste bags are simply collapsed and securely stored in the main fecal canister.