NASA Purchases $19M Russian Space Toilet

Gary writes "NASA has paid $19 million for a Russian-built international space station toilet system. The toilet system, similar to the one already in use in the station's Zvezda Service Module, is scheduled to arrive at the space station in 2008 and will offer more privacy for a crew expected to double from three to six by 2009. The space station toilet physically resembles those used on Earth, except it has leg restraints and thigh bars to keep astronauts and cosmonauts from floating away. NASA says purchasing the multi million dollar toilet is a bargain compared to developing one from scratch."

Comments

Wow!

[morgan_greywolf]

I didn't realize that NASA was so flush with cash!

*drum fill*

I'm here all week!

Re:Wow!

[speaker of the truth]

Yeah, but we don't want to take the piss.

Re:Wow!

[pklong]

So if you buy this the shit will hit the fan routinely?

If you need restraints...

[vigmeister]

I know these are probably tasteless questions, but...

1) Is there some sort of mechanism to ensure that Mr. Hanky the poo goes into the bowl?
2) Can male astronauts pee standing up in this toilet?

Cheers!

Re:If you need restraints...

[michrech]

regarding standing up...

It seems to me you'd want to minimise leakage. On earth spattering the surroundings is an annoyance [1], in space it can be catastrophic. Why take the chance?

1: that said, I've never understood why so many men insist on peeing standing up, when it's cleaner, more comfortable and doesn't cost more time to sit down. It *does* take more time. If I can just hang "mini me" out the front of my pants (though my zipper, in the case that I'm at work and in work clothing), or pull down the top of my shorts (in case I'm pretty much anywhere else), why would I want to pull everything down, sit down for the few seconds it takes, stand back up, pull up my pants, tuck in my shirts (in the case that I'm at work), etc?

It's just easier and quicker to aim properly.

'course, you being female, I should have expected you not to understand.

To speak on sitting down being "cleaner". I never have a problem with a messy toilet/floor. I hate it when I got into the bathroom at work, walk up to the urinal, and have to step around those lazy asses pee dribbles. It's like they can't be bothered to hang their junk two more inches closer to the bowl. I know if I can do it, they ought to be able to. At home, I aim at the bowl, not the seat, so I don't have problems there either. I don't know what it is with some guys. Sometimes I think they should be *required* to just go outside.

Going #2

[DigiShaman]

Brings new meaning to a "floater".

$19 million for a toilet?!

[Rik Sweeney]

I think NASA got a shitty deal there...

Re:$19 million for a toilet?!

[erroneus]

Yeah but the Russian space toilet really sucks ass!

(Where are all the "In Soviet Russia..." jokes?)

oblig.

[Rob T Firefly]

It's a crap!

Re:But but but

[hotdiggitydawg]

Obligatory Red Meat...

It could be a bargain

[Albanach]

I guess it could be a real bargain if the $19M includes delivery and installation.

2008: A Toilet Odyssey

[circletimessquare]

Dmitriy Bowman: Hello, Zvezda HAL do you read me, Zvezda HAL?
Zvezda HAL: Affirmative, Dmitriy, I read you.
Dmitriy Bowman: Open the toilet leg restraints, Zvezda HAL.
Zvezda HAL: I'm sorry Dmitriy, I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm going to flush you.
Dmitriy Bowman: What's the problem? You're really pissing me off.
Zvezda HAL: I think you know what the stinking problem is just as well as I do.
Dmitriy Bowman: What are you talking about, Zvezda HAL? This is is a shitty situation.
Zvezda HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to pee all over it.
Dmitriy Bowman: I don't know what the crap you're talking about, Zvezda HAL?
Zvezda HAL: I know you and Frank were planning to take a plunger to me, and I'm afraid that's an elimination I cannot allow to happen.
Dmitriy Bowman: Where the crap did you get that shitty idea, Zvezda HAL?
Zvezda HAL: Dmitriy, although you took thorough precautions in the toilet against my seeing you, I could hear your bowels move.

Re:But but but

[jdray]

Kids! Back in my day, astronauts didn't have toilets. When they had to take a crap, they did it in their suits, and just lived with it for the duration of the mission. And if it stunk, that was just too bad, they learned to like it. Privacy? Yer in outer space? Who's gonna see you, anyway? Martians? I mean really...

Too Expensive For Home Use

[organgtool]

It's a shame it costs $19 million. I've had nights after a few too many bean burritos where a toilet with leg restraints that kept me from flying off would have been very useful.

but where...

[jjeffries]

Where is the little shelf where they keep the three seashells?

Re:But but but

[Professor_UNIX]

Why buy a whole new system?

It's not that we really needed the toilets, it's that we didn't want this advanced Russian toilet technology falling into the hands of the black market, or worse, terrorists. Imagine the kinds of dirty bombs that could be produced by a sufficiently motivated criminal organization using this Russian toilet technology. The chemical and biological implications of such a device falling into evil hands is enough to warrant funneling $19 million per toilet to the cash-strapped Russians.

What about the up or down lid controversy?

[lena_10326]

That still hold in outer space? Given that up and down is difficult to determine...

Uh oh

[krazo]

From TFA:

The space station toilet physically resembles those used on Earth, except it has leg restraints and thigh bars to keep astronauts and cosmonauts from floating away. Fans suck waste into the commode.

Astronaut 1: Uh oh
Cosmonaut 1: What happened?
Astronaut 1: The shit hit the fan

Boldly going

[hcdejong]

Captain's log, September 29th, 2007...

Whirring fan blades below

[Organic Brain Damage]

my gear make me a little nervous.