SpaceX Vessel Has a Broken Toilet, and Now the Crew Has to Use Diapers
The SpaceX Crew-2 capsule will return to Earth on Monday night, but that return trip may not be the most comfortable for the astronauts on board even beyond the general constraints of reentry. The toilet on board the spacecraft is broken and will remain offline for the duration of the trip back meaning that if those onboard need to go, they'll need to use diapers built into their flight suits.
During a news conference last week, Crew-2 mission pilot K. Megan McArthur explained (via The New York Times) that the diaper situation is "suboptimal" but that the crew is prepared.
"Of course that's suboptimal, but we are prepared to manage that in the time we're on board Dragon on the way home," McArthur said.
The issue with the spacecraft's toilet was first detected back in September on another SpaceX capsule, specifically during the flight of Inspiration4 during a three-day orbital flight. It was discovered that a tube from the capsule's toilet - which isn't a regular bathroom, but a toilet device with a tube and fans designed to ensure waste goes the appropriate direction - had broken loose and leaked into a fan, sending urine beneath the capsule's interior floor. Upon inspection, astronauts on the space station discovered a similar issue with the Crew-2 capsule, as well as traces of urine beneath the floor.
After initial concerns that the urine could cause corrosion of critical parts of the capsule and pose a safety risk, an inspection of Inspiration4 showed that did not appear to be the case due to the heavy coats of paint, prompting NASA to approve Crew-2's return to Earth - though with the leak remaining, that means the space diapers may see service.
"Our intent is to not use the system at all for the return leg home, because of what we've seen with the fluid," NASA Commercial Crew program manager Steve Stitch said. "Any time the crew is suited, they use an undergarment in that suit, and it's a short mission coming home so it's pretty typical to have an undergarment on and they can use that on the way home."
McArthur seemed to take the development in stride, telling the press that the "little challenge" is one that they'll take care of as part of their overall mission.
"Spaceflight is full of lots of little challenges," McArthur said. "This is just one more that we'll encounter and take care of on our mission."
