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Space Station Turning Into a Trash Heap

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the waste-management dept.

quintin3265 writes "Apparently, the International Space Station is becoming overloaded with junk, stored among other places in a now unused airlock. Since shuttles aren't visiting the station, the station's occupants can't return broken machines to Earth. Furthermore, the only way they can dispose of trash and human waste is by loading these items in Russian cargo ships that burn up in the atmosphere."

12 of 312 comments (clear)

  1. snow by mothz · · Score: 5, Funny

    the only way they can dispose of trash and human waste is by loading these items in Russian cargo ships that burn up in the atmosphere.

    So even if the snow doesn't look yellow, it's probably not good to eat.

  2. And to think... by datastalker · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...that I was upset with broken machines piling up in the cage in the datacenter... at least I don't live there! (Well, ok, not entirely.) Plus, I can go outside to escape looking at it, which is unfortunately not an option for the cosmo/astro-nauts.

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  3. To the sun! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Send them in the direction of THE SUN!

    Homer: The sun? That's the hottest place on Earth!

  4. Sell it on Ebay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ships to: Worldwide
    Shipping: Check item description and payment instructions or contact seller for details

  5. Take a lesson from DMB by hansoncoyne · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't just dump your sh*t when nobody is looking. You may get caught.

  6. One word... by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 5, Funny

    eBay. Buyer pays for shipping.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  7. Flaming Poo by killermookie · · Score: 5, Funny

    Furthermore, the only way they can dispose of trash and human waste is by loading these items in Russian cargo ships that burn up in the atmosphere.

    Let the flaming poo jokes commence.

  8. Re:what?? by RealAlaskan · · Score: 5, Funny
    Have to launch it and send it in the opposite direction of orbit for it to fall; but damn, in microgravity it shouldn't be that hard to come up with a spring loaded trash disposal system.....

    For evey action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. If you change the orbit of the excrement, you also slightly change the orbit of the space station. Since there's a bit of atmospheric drag in that low orbit, that might be a good thing. De-orbiting the trash will tend to counter the drag which is slowing the space station.

    So, we change orbits by flinging poo. We'll call it the monkey drive.

    --
    See what I've been reading.
  9. aye caramba! by aztektum · · Score: 4, Funny

    I just washed my car! Now that the birds are going south I thought it was safe.

    --
    :: aztek ::
    No sig for you!!
  10. No problem by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Getting rid of space trash is easy. Just mix it with anti-trash.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  11. Imagine the feeling by HBI · · Score: 4, Funny

    Being aboard a mighty achievement of human science, and having your own shit piling up next to you for lack of a means to dispose it.

    It would be very demoralizing to me.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
  12. Re:what?? by Dirtside · · Score: 4, Funny
    Oops is a word you don't want to hear in space.
    In space, no one can hear you say "Oops."
    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased