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NASA’s new $23 million space toilet is headed to the ISS

October 2, 2020
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A recently designed space toilet that better accommodates women is headed to the International Space Station. The new loo is packed inside a cargo ship set to blast off late Thursday from Wallops Island, Virginia, according to the Guardian on Thursday. The astronauts will give it a test run for the next few months.



This unusual-looking space toilet will be tested by the astronauts on ISS. NASA

© Provided by CNET
This unusual-looking space toilet will be tested by the astronauts on ISS. NASA



Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti shows off the hose on the current toilet for when you need to pee. 

© Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti shows off the hose on the current toilet for when you need to pee. 


Weighing almost 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and measuring 28 inches (71 centimeters) tall, the new toilet is about half as big as the two Russian-built toilets already in use at the space station. This new toilet is 65% smaller and almost half as lighter than current ISS toilets in use.

The new smaller size will be able to fit into the NASA Orion capsules, which will travel to the moon in future missions.

As previously reported, the new toilet is designed with a tilted seat, new shape and redesigned funnels for urination to better accommodate female astronauts. 



diagram, engineering drawing: Here's a closer look at the new space toilet that will be used on the ISS. NASA

© Provided by CNET
Here’s a closer look at the new space toilet that will be used on the ISS. NASA

The microgravity toilets used on the ISS use suction to keep waste from escaping during a potty break in space, but the new system has a new shape to better fit female anatomy. The toilet is also better suited to capture more waste than before. 

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“Cleaning up a mess is a big deal. We don’t want any misses or escapes,” Johnson Space Center project manager Melissa McKinley told the Guardian. “Let’s just say everything floats in weightlessness.”

The new toilet system also has a lower mass than prior systems, is simpler to use, provides increased crew comfort and performance, and treats urine so it can be safely processed by the spacecraft recycling systems,” according to a NASA report previously published in June.

The new toilet will be placed in its own stall next to the old one on the US side of the space station. The toilet currently on the US side of the space station was designed in the 1990s. 

This new Universal Waste Management System toilet will remain on ISS until the end of the space station’s lifetime. 


Think you’ve got what it takes to live on the International Space Station for months at a time?Day-to-day life can be fun, but it’s also a challenge for people who, you know, like gravity.



Fresh produce does occasionally show up on the ISS. But…



Most of the time, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and even drinks look like this.A typical meat dish: Barbecue beef brisket. Seen here: a Thanksgiving feast.



Every element of an astronaut’s workday, from experiments (such as this one) to showering, are scheduled by dozens of ground crew.



Downtime is often spent gazing at the home planet via the Cupola, the station’s 360-degree viewing platform. But daytime viewing requires eye protection.



Even during downtime, ISS astronauts always have reminders of their crucial work. Their sleeping pods have laptops in them, and even the space in the serene Cupola does double duty. It’s also the primary control station for the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2.



Astronauts, including these two from NASA, tend to experience deteriorating vision in space, so regular eye exams are part of the routine. These two are performing the exams inside the ISS Destiny Laboratory.



Haircuts can be a challenge in zero gravity. Here, an Italian crew member holds a vacuum to suck up hair loosed by a colleague’s shears.



Care for a burger?This is what a US astronaut ate recently prior to a space walk: beef patties, cheese, tomato paste and Russian mustard on a tortilla wrap.



Ever dreamt of having your own 3D printer? The ISS has one. (It was used to print this item.) The long-term goal: having a self-sufficient machine shop on board the space station.



From the Cupola, the crew can see the Russian Soyuz craft, which has been used to bring them to and from the station.



Clothes, such as the socks worn by this ISS crew member, get dirty just like they do on Earth. But there’s no laundry system on the ISS; instead, crew members eject the dirty clothes, which are incinerated in Earth’s atmosphere.



ISS workers do get the occasional favorite treat, such as their preferred brand of mustard or, in one case, marshmallow fluff.



Crew members often work out twice a day at pre-designated times.



There are no showers on the ISS. Instead, as demonstrated by this astronaut, crew members take a type of sponge bath using a pre-mixed, rinse-free cleaning solution and a towel.



A hygiene station includes a hairbrush, toothbrush and other necessities…but zero gravity has a way of undoing a lot of preening.



Brushing teeth aboard the ISS can be fun, given that the both toothpaste and water…



…stick to the brush with a little coaxing.



Is an extra bit of water trying to get away? Just lean forward and drink the renegade water globule.



Here’s a sign posted in the bathroom on the ISS.



Crew members in need of a toilet had better have good aim; the hole is small.The good news: There’s an array of toilet papers and wipes to choose from, including American-style soft paper and coarser, Russian-style TP.



Men and women urinate into this yellow suction tube. There are disinfectant wipes nearby in case of a miss.



Sleep pods on the ISS are on four walls of the station, because gravity isn’t a factor.



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