NASA to send ₹170 crore toilet to International Space Station

Science Desk: NASA is launching a new space toilet to the International Space Station this week for astronauts to test out before it’s used on future missions to the moon or Mars. 

A $23 million advanced bathroom to the International Space Station (ISS) to test out before using a similar system on future Moon and Mars missions.

The toilet is scheduled to launch, along with other cargo, on Northrop Grumman`s contract resupply mission to ISS from NASA`s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on September 29.

The $23 million toilet system, known as the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), is 65% smaller and 40% lighter than the toilet currently in use on the space station, and can support larger crews.

Another UWMS unit will be installed in Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II flight test that will send astronauts on a 10-day mission beyond the Moon and back.

The "Universal" in UWMS is key: the central design concept can be easily integrated into different spacecraft and life support systems.

The system will be installed adjacent to the current toilet in Node 3 of the space station, NASA Advanced Exploration Systems Logistics Reduction project manager Melissa McKinley said during a news conference Thursday (Sept. 24).

Expedition 63 astronauts Chris Cassidy and Ivan Vagner have started preparing for the space toilet's delivery. The crew will use the orbiting lab's Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture the Cygnus spacecraft, according to a statement from the space agency. 

"The toilet was designed for exploration and it builds on previous spaceflight toilet design," McKinley said during the press conference. "The big key to the exploration piece of the design is looking to optimize mass volume and power usage, which are all very important components of a spacecraft design."

The "Universal" in UWMS is key: the central design concept can be easily integrated into different spacecraft and life support systems.

On platforms like the space station where astronauts live and work for extended time periods, UWMS will feed pre-treated urine into a regenerative system, which recycles water for further use.

For shorter duration missions, like Artemis II, UWMS also works with a system where waste is not pre-treated with chemicals and is simply stored for disposal.

Improved integration with other components of the space station water system will aid in recycling more urine, which, yes, the astronauts do drink after it is filtered and processed.

"We recycle about 90 per cent of all water-based liquids on the space station, including urine and sweat," explains NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

How do space toilets work?

The most basic human biological processes becomes challenging off-planet due in part to the lack of gravity.

In the absence of gravity, space toilets use air flow to pull urine and feces away from the body and into the proper receptacles.

A new feature of the UWMS is the automatic start of air flow when the toilet lid is lifted, which also helps with odor control.

By popular demand, it also includes a more ergonomic design requiring less clean-up and maintenance time, with corrosion-resistant, durable parts to reduce the likelihood of maintenance outside of the set schedule, NASA said.

The space toilet's advanced design includes a urine funnel and seat that is created to be more accommodating for female crew members. It also features a 3D-printed titanium dual fan separator, which was developed by Collins Aerospace and creates a strong airflow that, in lieu of gravity, helps to pull the astronauts’ urine and waste into the toilet. 

The titanium design also improves upon the existing pretreat system used to collect and treat astronauts' urine before it is processed and recycled for reclaimed water. 

The UWMS measures roughly 28 inches (71 centimeters) tall, which is comparable to the compact toilets used on campers, McKinley said during the conference. The toilet also has an automatic starting system, rather than an on and off switch like current toilet models on the space station. 

The new system will be used routinely by the crew on the space station and tested over the next three years to make sure everything works as planned. Prior to launch, the system was tested in environments designed to simulate that of the space station, NASA officials have said.