The moon-bound Artemis II mission crew contacted their NASA controllers just hours after launching Wednesday and told Houston they had a problem; their (ahem) onboard toilet would not work.
USA Today reports the astronauts worked with the mission control team to address the Orion spacecraft’s faulty facility after an issue arose post-launch and plumbing advice was urgently sought, the agency said.
Specifically, the toilet fan, which removes odor and airborne particles from the restricted lavatory space aboard the the 330-foot Orion spacecraft, was not working.
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NASA said in a blog post the crew “reported a blinking fault light” – like a “check engine” light in a car – related to the toilet system prior to conducting an engine maneuver known as the apogee raise burn on April 1.
“Mission control teams successfully assessed the data and worked with the crew to troubleshoot and resolve the issue,” the agency said.
During a post-launch news conference, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya described the problem as “a controller issue with the toilet,” per the USA Today report.
The onboard titanium toilet system, which uses air suction to remove waste, is located in the “floor” of the capsule, with a door and curtain for privacy.
The toilet is reportedly so loud, the crew must wear ear protection while availing of the lavatorial facilities.
Both men and women are able to use the system, which includes a funnel attached to a hose to process urine while using gentle airflow to eliminate spills.
Had the fix not worked, NASA says it had a contingency plan in place: a bag-based backup system to collect urine for venting into space, with solid waste still collected in the capsule, according to the New York Times.
The Artemis II mission is sending four astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to circle around the moon before heading back home.
The follow-on Artemis III mission has been scheduled to launch in 2027 for a low Earth orbit that will “test one or both commercial landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, respectively,” per NASA.
The scheduled Artemis IV mission in 2028 will be the first lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
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