Artemis II Crew Discusses Handling Plumbing Issues During Moon Mission

The Artemis II crew recently shared their experiences managing toilet troubles on their historic mission around the moon, answering questions from children during a live segment on CBS Mornings.

Plumbing issues became a prominent topic in the mission’s early days. The crew encountered intermittent problems with the system from the start. Initially, a fan in the toilet system malfunctioned. Once that was fixed, the vent line used to expel waste into space froze, preventing the tank from emptying. NASA flight controllers repositioned the Orion capsule so sunlight could warm the vent line, helping to clear the blockage.

During a Friday town hall, 9-year-old Bridget asked the crew how they managed the bathroom issues. Her question, “What did you do when the toilet broke? Did you just let it fly around?” was met with laughter from astronauts and the audience. Mission specialist Christina Koch explained that while NASA engineers worked on the technical issues, the crew relied on backup methods to maintain hygiene.

“Everything on the spaceship usually has a backup system, so luckily the engineers planned for that and we used our backup system,” Koch said. “We got through it. It wasn’t as easy as our fancy, good toilet, but we made do.”

The backup method included using contingency collapsible urinals (CCUs), which are plastic containers designed to collect urine. Later, the waste water is vented into space. Veteran astronaut Don Pettit mentioned on social media that CCUs can replace approximately 25 pounds of diapers for each crew member. Each astronaut aboard the Artemis II mission had two CCUs available for use if the Orion capsule’s toilet was unavailable.

Earlier in the town hall, pilot Victor Glover joked about their challenges with a reference to the “constellation Urion,” poking fun at the frozen urine droplets vented into space. More questions regarding hygiene emerged throughout the event. CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King asked about how the astronauts managed to keep clean in space.

“How do you stay clean up there? Showers, birdbaths?” King asked.

“I think showers in space are great,” Koch replied, describing them as “floating, water.”

Watch the full episode, “Things That Matter: A Town Hall with the Artemis Astronauts,” for more insights.