The article tells about how astronauts go to the toilet in space and take a shower, and also on what principle the space sewage system and water supply are arranged.
Space
55 years ago, what many scientists dreamed of was accomplished - a man made his first space flight, breaking out of our planet.
Later, when it became clear that research stations could and should be deployed in the Earth’s orbit, all space powers began their design and development. However, due to the high cost of such projects, it was possible to complete them only with the USA and the USSR. And later, the ISS was created - the international space station. Soon she will celebrate twenty years of operation.
But the ISS is far from the first space object created for long-term human habitation, which means that it has everything necessary for the relatively comfortable life of astronauts and maintenance of their vital functions, including a hygiene unit. And a delicate question that can often be heard from ignorant people: how do astronauts go to the toilet in space? We will talk about this in this article.
Hygiene
This topic rarely pops up in reports about astronauts, science films or literature, even fantastic. In fiction, however, generally uncomfortable details are often hushed up. Often you can find books about how brave space explorers from the future are in military or scientific spacesuits for dozens of hours. Despite the delicacy of the topic, the space toilet is a complex technological device, the principle and design of which was developed by the best minds of engineering. And this is no accident.
The thing is that orbital stations and spacecraft do not yet know how to create artificial gravity, and the problem of space toilets has risen sharply at the dawn of space exploration. Indeed, in the absence of gravity, the liquid waste of human life will simply fly into compartments and can cause a short circuit or clog the air circulation system.
So how do astronauts go to the toilet in space? In fact, everything is simple. Toilets are arranged on the principle of a vacuum cleaner - the waste is drawn in through negative air pressure and then goes into the recirculation system. But consider their device in more detail.
ISS toilets
A bathroom at an orbital station is a very important device, along with air exchange or thermal control systems. If it fails, then further use of the station will become impossible. True, such situations have not happened yet, and the astronauts have spare compact toilet devices. But the danger lies in the fact that in space you can’t open a porthole, throw out all the waste and ventilate the room from an unpleasant smell. So we will consider the question of how astronauts go to the toilet in space in more detail.
There are three bathrooms on the ISS, and two of them are of Russian manufacture. Their toilets are suitable for crew members of both sexes. As already mentioned, they work on the principle of a vacuum cleaner, drawing all the waste into the cleaning system and preventing them from flying into the compartments of the station. And then the waste products enter the cycle of the processing system, where they produce drinking and industrial water with oxygen.
Of course, the sanitary-hygienic unit on the ISS and its toilet bowl are very different from earthly ones. First of all, by the presence of leg mounts (so that the astronaut does not fly away ahead of time), as well as by special holders for the hips. Instead of water, a vacuum is used in them, which draws in all the waste. After the cleaning cycle, the remaining waste is collected in special containers and, as they are filled, transferred to one of the cargo ships for further disposal. So now we know how astronauts go to the toilet in space. But what if the astronaut wants to use the toilet when he is in a spaceship, and not at the station?
Spaceship Toilets
Launching a spacecraft into space and docking it with the ISS is a very difficult task. Sometimes astronauts have to sit in a rocket ready for launch for quite a long time, and the process of docking and maneuvering is delayed for tens of hours. Naturally, no normal person can not endure so much without going to the toilet. Therefore, before the start, the astronauts put on special diapers under spacesuits. The device of the spacecraft is such that spending space on creating a separate, even the simplest toilet, is impractical.
If it is planned to stay on board the ship for a long time, as it was in the early years, when space stations did not exist, then special toilet devices are used - flexible hoses with nozzles in the form of funnels. Negative pressure in them creates a draft of air, solid waste is collected in garbage cans, and liquid is thrown out of the ship.
How are cosmonauts washed?
Initially, space explorers did without water procedures. They used wet wipes. But when the first space stations were built and put into orbit, they were all equipped with a shower. After all, the air circulation system is closed, and it is difficult to get rid of foreign odors, so astronauts need to monitor hygiene. Psychological comfort also plays an important role - after all, nobody likes to be dirty. So how do cosmonauts wash themselves?
There is no separate shower cabin at the stations, much less on ships. And practice has shown that their construction is impractical. For washing, a special easy-to-wash shampoo, wet wipes and tubes of water are used. Due to the surface tension, it is pretty firmly held on the bodies of people, and then it is simply wiped with towels. Of course, this can not be compared with a real shower, but nevertheless, this method also helps to cope with the natural pollution of the human body.
Skylab
This space station stayed in orbit for about 6 years, and then was sent by operators to the Earth’s atmosphere, where it burned down safely. True, not completely, and its individual elements still reached the surface. And this station is notable for the presence of a large amount of free space and soul.
A modern space station is a place where every free corner of space is used. But Skylab was distinguished precisely by its internal dimensions. They were such that the astronauts, during charging, easily flew from one wall to another and generally noted that there was a lot of free internal volume. It was at this station that there was a shower, naturally, modernized for the conditions of the absence of gravity.
"World"
There was a shower at the Mir station. But the modern space station of the ISS does not possess it, since taking a shower in orbit is not the same as water procedures on Earth. The process was greatly delayed due to various difficulties, and astronauts rarely used the device, preferring to wipe with wet towels. In addition, it is precisely the dirt that does not exist at the station, and therefore the skin gets soiled much less than on Earth.
Toilet problems of the USA and the USSR
Probably everyone knows the name of the first cosmonaut in the history of mankind. But the name of the second is not known to everyone. He was an American Alan Shepard. And the first toilet problems for our former rivals in the space race began on May 5, 1961, before the launch of a rocket with Shepard.
Alan, who had already been in the spacesuit for more than 8 hours by that time, told the operator that he really needed to visit the toilet. But to interrupt preparations for launch, to submit a service tower to the ship, and then to engage in preparations again was impossible. Such a scenario would lead to a transfer of flight. As a result, Shepard had to relieve a small need directly in a spacesuit. Engineers were afraid that this would lead to a short circuit and the failure of most telemetry sensors, but fortunately, nothing happened.
But Gagarin’s flight was better planned. And although it lasted only 108 minutes, his ship was equipped with a special toilet device in the form of flexible hoses with funnels, where waste was sucked. True, it is not known whether Gagarin used it.
Conclusion
As you can see, the space toilet is a very important device, without which it would be impossible for the astronauts to be in orbit of the Earth for a long time. Despite the apparent simplicity, very large sums were spent on their design and implementation. For example, the toilet that the Americans ordered for their ISS segment from Russia cost them $ 19 million. Well, during spacewalks, people are forced to use special diapers, as sometimes work outside the spacecraft or ISS stretches for many hours.
And recall the unappetizing detail that astronauts who are overly impressionable journalists like to surprise: all waste products go into the recycling system, where water and oxygen are made from them for future consumption. But any serious activity requires sacrifice, and the astronauts are ready to do a lot for the realization of their dreams.