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Aboard a US Cygnus replenishment freighter, October 3 will arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS).
A new toilet that is smaller, more comfortable, easier to use and will be able to serve a larger crew.
UWMS
The new toilet features a 65% smaller and 40% lighter construction than the current space station toilet. Improved integration with other components of the space station's water system will help recycle more urine, which, yes, astronauts drink after filtering and processing it.
"We recycle about 90% of all water-based liquids on the space station, including urine and sweat," explains the NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. “What we are trying to do aboard the space station is mimic elements of Earth's natural water cycle to recover water from the air. And when it comes to our urine on ISS, today's coffee is tomorrow's coffee!
In the absence of gravity, space toilets use airflow to draw urine and feces from the body and place them in the appropriate receptacles. A new feature of the UWMS is the automatic start of airflow when the toilet lid is lifted, which also helps with odor control.
It also features a more ergonomic design that requires less time to clean and maintain, with durable, corrosion-resistant parts to reduce the likelihood of off-schedule maintenance.
For added privacy, the toilet is located inside a cubicle like in a public bathroom on Earth.
The UWMS seat may seem uncomfortably small and pointy, but in microgravity it is ideal. Provides ideal body contact to make sure everything goes where it should.
Toilet paper, wipes and gloves are disposed of in ziplock bags. Solid waste in individual waterproof bags is compacted into a removable fecal storage container. A small number of fecal containers are returned to Earth for evaluation, but most are loaded onto a cargo ship that burns upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
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The news
Smaller, more comfortable and easier to use: this is the new toilet that will be installed on the International Space Station
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.