SpaceX’s Crew-2 astronauts might have to test their bladders or pee in their spacesuits while returning to Earth from the ISS in the coming days. That’s because the toilet on their Crew Dragon spacecraft has broken down beyond repair.
Thankfully, there won’t be any water floating around as the crew will be sporting an adult diaper, which astronauts also use during long spacewalks. The toilet fault came into notice during SpaceX’s first all-civilian mission in September when an alarm sounded on board another Crew Dragon spacecraft.
A serious problem for crew members
Post-mission inspection revealed that a tube carrying the urine to a storage tank had come loose. This caused the liquid to leak. Fortunately, the fluid didn’t spread into the main part of the capsule, which would have been a serious problem.
It’s unclear for how long the Crew-2 astronauts will be stuck inside their toilet-less spacecraft during their return to Earth. The Crew Dragon has only taken astronauts to the ISS twice before, with the first return journey taking around 19 hours, while the second was finished in six. The space agency planners will do everything possible to cut down the travel time.
Fixing the leaky space toilet
Besides, SpaceX claims to have fixed the leaky space toilet with just a few days left before the next Crew Dragon spacecraft launch. The company will be launching a mission to the International Space Station and a fifth crewed mission into orbit.
Recently, the company has been undergoing a long licensing process with the Federal Aviation Administration over whether it can launch its huge Starship to orbit from Texas. Meanwhile, SpaceX tested out a variant of its super-powered Raptor engine.
The company shared a video of its Raptor vacuum engine atop a Starship prototype firing for the first time. While it’s technically the second time it has been tested, it’s the first time the company has done so attaching the engine to the rocket.
