September 20, 2010

How do you go to the bathroom in outer space?

Behold...the Space Potty!
The first challenge facing an astronaut is that the hole of the Space Potty toilet seat is four inches. This is MUCH smaller than the 16-inch opening you're used to. That means you can't just bust your grumpies...you have to AIM your grumpies!

Ah, but what if you're not sure if your poop chute is sitting OVER that four-inch hole? That's why they put a camera in the toilet! You turn on the TV monitor in front of the toilet to see what's on...and what's on is your butt!

As a toilet training expert says, "Alignment is important." But here's the thing...if you're going to poop in outer space, getting aligned is only the FIRST step. There are 28 other things you have to do before you take a dump!

Since you're in zero-gravity, you have to strap yourself down before taking any backdoor action. Also, you're almost certainly going to pee when you poop, so you need a separate hose for that!

Want to learn more? Of course you do! So go to this link for the full training video on going to the bathroom in outer space. (Or check out an article on the topic here.)
Painting by Scott Listfield.

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