CAPE CANAVERAL:NASA’s first new space potty in decades — a $23 million titanium toilet better suited for women — is getting a not-so-dry run at the International Space Station before eventually flying to the moon.
It’s packed inside a cargo ship that should have blasted off late Thursday from Wallops Island, Virginia. But the launch was aborted with just two minutes remaining in the countdown. Northrop Grumman said it would try again Friday night if engineers can figure out what went wrong.
Barely 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and just 28 inches (71 centimeters) tall, the new toilet is roughly half as big as the two Russian-built ones at the space station. It's more camper-size to fit into the NASA Orion capsules that will carry astronauts to the moon in a few years.
Station residents will test it out for a few months. If the shakedown goes well, the toilet will be open for regular business.
With SpaceX now launching astronauts to the space station and Boeing less than a year from sending up its first crew, more toilets are needed. The new one will be in its own stall alongside the old one on the U.S. side of the outpost.
The old toilets cater more toward men. To better accommodate women, NASA tilted the seat on the new toilet and made it taller. The new shape should help astronauts position themselves better for No. 2, said Johnson Space Center's Melissa McKinley, the project manager.
“Cleaning up a mess is a big deal. We don’t want any misses or escapes,” she said.
Let’s just say everything floats in weightlessness.
As for No. 1, the funnels also have been redesigned. Women can use the elongated and scooped-out funnels to urinate while sitting on the commode to poop at the same time, McKinley said. Until now, it’s been one or the other for female astronauts, she noted.
Like earlier space commodes, air suction, rather than water and gravity, removes the waste. Urine collected by the new toilet will be routed into NASA’s long-standing recycling system to produce water for drinking and cooking. Titanium and other tough alloys were chosen for the new toilet to withstand all the acid in the urine pretreatment.
Going to the bathroom in space may sound simple, but “sometimes the simple things become very difficult” without gravity, said NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, commander of the second SpaceX crew, due to launch Oct. 31 from Kennedy Space Center.
While the old design isn't that hard to use, subtle design changes can make all the difference for women, noted NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, a former space station resident who’s also on the next SpaceX crew.
“Trust me, I’ve got going to the bathroom in space down, because that is a vital, vital thing to know how to do,” she told The Associated Press earlier this week.
The typical space station population will go from six to seven with the next SpaceX flight, and even more when non-professionals like tourists start showing up as early as next year. Astronauts normally stay six months.
The last time NASA ordered up a new toilet was in the early 1990s to accommodate two-week space shuttle missions. The agency contracted with Collins Aerospace to provide the latest model; the company also worked on the shuttle potties.
Also in the 8,000-pound (3,600-kilogram) shipment aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule: air tanks to make up for a slight space station leak, radish seeds for greenhouse growing and a cinematic 360-degree VR camera for you-are-there-spacewalk shots.
Perhaps the most unique payload: Estee Lauder’s newest wrinkle serum. The cosmetics company is paying $128,000 for an out-of-this-world photo shoot, part of NASA’s push to open the final frontier to marketing, industry and tourism.
Don’t count on perfumed aromas, though, to counter bathroom odors.
The serum is fragrance-free and the 10 bottles will remain sealed until returned to Earth early next year.
AP Newsroom
Fri Oct 02 2020
![Potty training: NASA tests new $23m titanium space toilet Potty training: NASA tests new $23m titanium space toilet](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2020-10/71601611796_NASA.jpg)
The new device is scheduled to be delivered to the International Space Station on Oct. 1, 2020. - Norah Moran/NASA via AP
![MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721105894_AhmadZahidHamidi.jpg)
MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid
MARA diminta untuk terus meneroka potensi antarabangsa dalam industri halal yang mempunyai prospek besar menerusi program Gate to Global (GTG).
Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan berikutan komitmen peribadi
Pengurus pasukan kebangsaan Malaysia, Kim Pan-gon menyatakan perletakan jawatan tersebut kerana komitmen peribadi.
#AWANInews
#AWANInews
![Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721102997_SimposiumDronKeban.jpg)
Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi
Penggunaan dron membolehkan pemantauan pencemaran alam sekitar dan hidupan liar serta pencerobohan hutan dilaksanakan dengan lebih berkesan.
![Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan ketua jurulatih Harimau Malaya Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan ketua jurulatih Harimau Malaya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71718142997_KimPanGon.jpg)
Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan ketua jurulatih Harimau Malaya
Kim Pan-gon menjadi satu-satunya individu yang bakal meninggalkan pasukan manakala Pau Marti bersama staf sokongan yang lain kekal di Kelana Jaya.
![Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721109015_bekaspengawalperib.jpg)
Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan
Bekas anggota polis wanita yang kini bekerja sebagai pengawal peribadi cedera setelah motosikal ditunggangnya melanggar sebuah SUV di lebuh raya PLUS.
![Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81719996195_MKulasegaran.jpg)
Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran
RUU Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentangkan di Parlimen pada akhir tahun ini selepas cadangan ketetapan bagi penggubalan Akta Kebebasan Maklumat dibawa ke Jemaah Menteri untuk kelulusan.
![Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108438_azizi.jpg)
Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu
Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak Datuk Azizi Mat Aris dilantik sebagai Ketua Polis Perak yang baharu hari ini.
![ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108165_ADUNRembiaPN.jpg)
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin
Menurut Takiyuddin, keahlian Muhamad Jailani yang juga wakil rakyat UMNO diterima pada 10 Jun tahun lalu, namun diumumkan secara rasmi hari ini.
Kita perlu belajar hidup dengan COVID-19 - Pakar
Itu kata Pakar Perubatan Kesihatan Awam, Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Dr Aznida Mohamad Zaki yang berkata pihaknya akan berusaha semampu mungkin dalam menggalakkan praktis kendiri dikalangan orang awam bagi mencegah penularan wabak seperti mana yang pernah dilakukan sebelum ini.
LHDN lulus 141,406 permohonan PKPS 2.0
Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) telah meluluskan sebanyak 141,406 permohonan program khas pengakuan sukarela (PKPS) 2.0 yang melibatkan 102,572 bilangan kes pembayar cukai individu, 27,707 bilangan kes syarikat dan selebihnya melibatkan lain kategori seperti pertubuhan.
![China bangunkan sistem GPS untuk bulan China bangunkan sistem GPS untuk bulan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-10/61698559350_GerhanaBulanSepara.jpg)
China bangunkan sistem GPS untuk bulan
Sebanyak 21 satelit akan mengorbit bulan bagi memberikan kemampuan GPS dengan ketepatan yang tinggi.
![Angkasawan bersedia untuk penerbangan pertama Starliner Angkasawan bersedia untuk penerbangan pertama Starliner](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/61717260956_BoeingsStarliner.jpg)
Angkasawan bersedia untuk penerbangan pertama Starliner
CST-100 Starliner dengan dua orang angkasawan dijangka berlepas pada jam 12:25 tengah hari dari Pusat Angkasa Kennedy NASA di Florida.
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/71709993909_TBBERITAx.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![NASA bangunkan sistem rel terapung di permukaan bulan NASA bangunkan sistem rel terapung di permukaan bulan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-05/51715317380_NASAjpg.jpg)
NASA bangunkan sistem rel terapung di permukaan bulan
FLOAT membabitkan pembangunan sistem rel terapung yang tidak memerlukan manusia untuk beroperasi menjelang 2030.
![NASA berjaya hantar isyarat komunikasi laser sejauh 226 juta km NASA berjaya hantar isyarat komunikasi laser sejauh 226 juta km](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-05/81715053683_NASAjpg.jpg)
NASA berjaya hantar isyarat komunikasi laser sejauh 226 juta km
Kali ini data daripada kapal angkasa Psyche yang membawa DSOC bajua
![Jutaan manusia kagum dengan fenomena gerhana matahari penuh Jutaan manusia kagum dengan fenomena gerhana matahari penuh](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-04/71712621704_totalsolareclipse.jpg)
Jutaan manusia kagum dengan fenomena gerhana matahari penuh
Fenomena gerhana matahari penuh tidak dapat disaksikan di Malaysia kerana laluan bayang-bayang umbra dan penumbra bulan tidak melalui mana-mana kawasan di Malaysia pada waktu tersebut.
!['Selamat Datang ke Bulan' - Pendaratan kapal angkasa berjaya selepas 50 tahun 'Selamat Datang ke Bulan' - Pendaratan kapal angkasa berjaya selepas 50 tahun](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-02/71708648932_Moon.jpg)
'Selamat Datang ke Bulan' - Pendaratan kapal angkasa berjaya selepas 50 tahun
Robot pendarat berkaki enam digelar Odysseus, berjaya mendarat kira-kira jam 6:23 petang waktu AS di kawah bernama Malapert A.
![NASA uji parabola hibrid terima isyarat komunikasi radio dan laser NASA uji parabola hibrid terima isyarat komunikasi radio dan laser](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-02/71707883936_TBNASAjpg.jpg)
NASA uji parabola hibrid terima isyarat komunikasi radio dan laser
NASA Menguji Parabola Hibrid Yang Menerima Isyarat Komunikasi Radio Dan Laser
![Helikopter Ingenuity tidak lagi boleh terbang di Marikh Helikopter Ingenuity tidak lagi boleh terbang di Marikh](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-01/81706421625_HelikopterIngenuity.jpg)
Helikopter Ingenuity tidak lagi boleh terbang di Marikh
HAMPIR tiga tahun lalu helikopter Ingenuity menjadi objek pertama rekaan manusia yang berjaya terbang di planet selain bumi.
![Jet ujian X-59 untuk program pesawat penumpang supersonik senyap didedahkan Jet ujian X-59 untuk program pesawat penumpang supersonik senyap didedahkan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-01/81705137634_NASALockheedMarti.jpg)
Jet ujian X-59 untuk program pesawat penumpang supersonik senyap didedahkan
Sasaran NASA dan Lockheed Martin ialah X-59 menghasilkan bunyi seperti pintu ditutup sahaja pada kelajuan supersonik.