The Top 10 Pivotal Moments in Space Toilet History

Even while millions of miles away from Earth, astronauts must face certain everyday needs. In the vastness of space, as they orbit hundreds of miles above Earth's surface, they still need to eat, sleep, and, yes, use the bathroom. The challenge of using the toilet—and managing waste—in zero gravity can prove to be quite the puzzle.

From the earliest space missions, astronauts have relied on a variety of devices to manage bathroom needs. These range from basic adult diapers to advanced toilet systems capable of transforming urine into drinkable water. Spacecraft have always been equipped with their own toilets, though not without a few mishaps, such as broken toilets and bathroom-sharing disputes, which have made bathroom trips in space an adventure of their own.

Take a nostalgic journey through the history of aerospace and discover the bathroom moments that have brought astronauts both relief and frustration throughout the years.

10: Shepard's Pioneering Bathroom Crisis

On May 5, 1961, Alan B. Shepard, Jr.'s historic first American manned spaceflight was initially set to last 15 minutes. However, after delays caused by weather and technical issues, Shepard found himself needing to relieve himself after a four-hour wait. Over radio, he humorously informed the controllers, "I've got to pee," to which they promptly responded, "No way." Left with no choice, Shepard had to make do in his suit.

As space missions grew longer, engineers knew they had to provide astronauts with functional bathroom facilities. These toilets in space featured lap belts, handholds, and foot restraints to prevent floating during use. Without gravity, a fan drew urine and waste into separate containers, while a filter cleared the air of odors before returning it to the cabin.

9: The Discovery of the Urine-cicle

During a 1984 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, a malfunction in the shuttle’s waste water venting system resulted in a massive icicle of urine forming on the outside. Concerned that the icicle could break off during re-entry and damage the shuttle’s heat tiles, the crew used the shuttle’s robotic arm to dislodge it. While the tiles were spared, the crew was forced to shut down the toilet system for the remainder of their six-day mission.

8: The Portable Toilet Solution

Leave it to Japanese engineers to revolutionize space toilets, bringing them into the modern age.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has reportedly designed a toilet that functions similarly to a high-tech diaper. If this innovation becomes widespread, astronauts will never need to take a bathroom break as they'll have it with them at all times. Equipped with motion sensors, the toilet detects when an astronaut uses it, triggering a suction system to remove waste. Once the astronaut is finished, the machine cleans and dries the wearer, eliminating any unpleasant sounds and odors, ensuring privacy in confined spaces.

7: No Russians Allowed!

Living aboard the International Space Station can feel like being in a large family, where the battle for bathroom time is ever-present. In 2009, Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka took this struggle to new heights when he publicly stated in a Russian newspaper that he was denied access to the bathroom on the American side of the station.

The Americans weren't engaging in a space-based version of the Cold War. In fact, Padalka attributed the bathroom restrictions to the Russian government, which had begun charging NASA for resources used by American astronauts since 2003. In turn, the U.S. asked the Russians to respect its facilities and stay out.

Padalka mentioned that the bathroom ban had a negative impact on the morale of the cosmonauts. The exclusion from the Americans' exercise bike didn't help raise their spirits either.

6: It's in the Bag

NASA's Apollo missions, which successfully placed the first men on the moon, were groundbreaking in many ways. However, their design did not account for a significant challenge — bathroom breaks. The astronauts had to wear a condom-like device over their most sensitive areas, which was connected to a hose that directed urine outside the spacecraft.

The device, while functional, was far from comfortable. If the astronauts prematurely opened the valve before beginning to urinate, the suction would painfully pull their genitalia toward the hose. Once they started urinating, the fitting would often detach, causing a messy spray of urine inside the spacecraft. In the microgravity environment, this was a particularly unpleasant experience for everyone on board.

The challenge of weightless defecation was even more complicated. Astronauts had to attach a bag to their rear end and, once they began, manually retrieve the waste from the bag. Without gravity to assist, they had to open a capsule of blue germicide and mix everything together. Crew members of Apollo 7 recalled the ordeal: 'Get naked, allow an hour, have plenty of tissues ready' [source: Saunders].

5: One Pricey Potty

Among the many extravagant expenditures made by the U.S. government, the 2008 revelation that NASA intended to spend $250 million on a space toilet raised eyebrows. Despite its hefty cost, the toilet isn't made from solid gold, though it does boast an impressive feature: it can transform urine into potable drinking water.

This expensive water filtration system not only purifies urine into drinkable water, but it also turns sweat and moisture from damp towels into potable water. For those who balk at the idea of consuming purified urine, NASA assures that the resulting water is actually cleaner than standard tap water in the United States. This technology is expected to save up to 7 tons of water annually.

In September 2020, NASA tested its new prototype unisex space toilet, the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), on the International Space Station. This system, which filters urine and sweat into drinking water, came with a price tag of $23 million, covering two toilet units. See No. 1 for further details.

4: Out of Order

When a toilet malfunctions on Earth, you call a plumber. But in space, when a $19 million toilet breaks down, the solution isn't as straightforward. In July 2009, one of the toilets aboard the International Space Station failed after its pump separator flooded. This left the crew of six, along with seven astronauts from the space shuttle Endeavour, with just one functioning toilet on the American side — or they could request access to the Russian side's toilet.

Luckily, the astronauts had more than one toilet to rely on: Just a year earlier, there was only one toilet on the Space Station. When its motor fan broke, the crew was left with a tense situation. Fortunately, both times, the crew was able to carry out emergency repairs and get the broken toilet functioning again swiftly.

3: Potty Humor

In early 2009, NASA invited the public to submit their suggestions for the name of a new space module. Comedian Stephen Colbert, ever the self-promoter, urged his viewers on "The Colbert Report" to write in his name. With 230,000 votes, Colbert claimed an overwhelming victory, but NASA ultimately chose "Tranquility" — the eighth-place finisher — for the module's name.

As a consolation, NASA considered naming a toilet in Colbert's honor. However, his name was ultimately bestowed upon a treadmill (the C.O.L.B.E.R.T.). Colbert humorously responded, "I couldn't be prouder that my treadmill will soon be installed on the International Space Station to help finally slim down all those chubby astronauts" [source: ABC].

2: A Beautiful Dump

In the fall of 2009, some stargazers were in for a shock when they discovered that what they thought was an awe-inspiring celestial event was actually a cosmic waste disposal. Space shuttles have limited storage space, which means astronauts must periodically jettison waste. When urine is released into space, it immediately freezes into ice crystals. Observers have marveled at the sight of sunlight transforming these crystals into vapor.

Apollo 9 astronaut Russell Schweickart once said, "The most beautiful sight in orbit ... is a urine dump at sunset." As the urine exits the shuttle, it "immediately turns into 10 million tiny ice crystals, spraying outward like a hemisphere ... a shower of sparklers, almost." The 2009 event was particularly large, releasing around 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of urine and water due to a delay in unloading during a 10-day shuttle mission to the International Space Station [source: Space.com].

1: A $23 Million Unisex Toilet for the ISS

After a six-year development process and an investment of $23 million, NASA's new space toilet, known as the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), arrived at the International Space Station on October 5, 2020. The compact device will be installed by astronauts, and its performance will be assessed to decide if a second unit will accompany the Artemis 2 mission to the moon, and possibly even travel to Mars in the future.

The new space toilet is 40 percent lighter, 65 percent smaller, and significantly more energy-efficient than its predecessor. According to NASA, "The 'Universal' in UWMS is key: The design is versatile and can be seamlessly integrated into various spacecraft and life support systems."

"We recycle about 90 percent of all water-based liquids on the space station, including urine and sweat. What we aim to do on the ISS is replicate Earth's natural water cycle to reclaim water from the air," explained NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. "And as for our urine, today's coffee is tomorrow's coffee!"

Recycling will play a crucial role in future missions to Mars, where no additional water sources will be available during the two-year round-trip journey. According to a NASA press release: "NASA's goal is to achieve a 98 percent recycling rate before the first human missions aboard a proposed Mars transport vehicle. The space station currently serves as the only in-space test location for validating long-term life support and recycling systems."

Historically, space toilets were designed with male astronauts in mind, but the new model is celebrated for its unisex design. 'The funnel shape was completely re-engineered to better fit the female anatomy,' explained Melissa McKinley, the project manager for NASA's new space toilet, during a pre-launch press briefing.