Urine Spill on Spacecraft Raises Concerns, But Health Risks Appear Managed
New revelations have emerged about the malfunctioning toilet on SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission, which caused issues while the first all-civilian crew was in orbit. Last month, it was reported that the faulty lavatory triggered an alarm mid-flight, but SpaceX and mission leader Jacob Isaacman were hesitant to disclose further details.
Now, it’s been disclosed that a tube came unglued during the flight, spilling urine onto the spacecraft’s fans and underneath the floor. William Gerstenmaier, a SpaceX vice president and former NASA engineer, explained that the crew did not notice the issue during the mission, and it was only after returning to Earth that they discovered the contamination under the floor of the capsule.
Reports from last month had indicated that the malfunctioning toilet caused an alarm during the mission, a detail Gerstenmaier’s recent statement didn’t clarify. However, he reassured that the contamination was largely contained. Urine, mixed with a corrosive compound called oxone to neutralize ammonia in space, posed potential health risks, but Gerstenmaier noted that the aluminum alloy used in the capsule was resistant to corrosion.
To prevent future issues, SpaceX has made improvements to the toilet system in its newest capsule, Endurance, which is being used for future missions. NASA is still reviewing the adjustments made to the design.
Gerstenmaier added that a similar problem had been noticed in the Dragon capsule at the space station, but since the crew’s stay was brief, less urine had pooled under the floor compared to the Inspiration4 capsule, which was in orbit for three days. SpaceX is currently conducting tests to ensure that the spilled urine did not damage the capsule’s structure, which could potentially jeopardize astronaut safety on their return to Earth next month.
