Astronauts need to learn to survive in microgravity, to eat without spilling crumbs, and to operate aircraft. But first, they need to pass this test.
Flying to space is an extraordinary experience, but it doesn’t come easy for astronauts. They must go through the world's most competitive selection processes and intensive training that lasts about two years, according to NASA. After this, they still need to pass rigorous tests before becoming eligible for a flight mission. Among these tests, former NASA astronaut José Moreno Hernández revealed one particularly bizarre test: the pee and poop module test, reported IFL Science.
Astronauts who pass the initial selection procedure are taken to a comprehensive “boot camp” where they are schooled in various shuttle and space station systems along with different kinds of science and engineering skills such as water survival, aircraft operations, and scuba diving. Some parts of training are carried out in simulated settings to familiarize them with real-time spacecraft setup. They undergo robotic arm operations tests to learn how to survive in microgravity environments. Among the many tests is one that is rarely addressed. This test, the “pee and poo test,” tackles the problem of how astronauts will use the restroom during their space flight.
The challenge lies in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS), where liquids and solids float weightlessly. This creates a potential mess for astronauts using the restroom. On Earth, gravity directs waste into the toilet, but in space, airflow must control their movement.
During early Apollo missions, NASA didn't have much technology to support the peeing and pooping processes for the astronauts. This created problems for the first astronaut who was assigned the spacewalk mission. Before Apollo 12, astronauts mostly used collection bags to process the excrement. For spacewalks or trips outside the spacecraft, they employed the Fecal Containment System (FCS), a "pair of underpants of absorbent material worn under the liquid cooling garment,” which was basically a diaper.
In the past few years, NASA has constructed a more advanced bathroom technology, especially after it began to send female astronauts on space missions. The space agency spends an enormous budget of about $23 million on this technology so astronauts don’t have to face any annoying scenarios during their flight. The entire technology is based on the science of airflow.
This technology includes a vacuum hose that creates artificial gravity to direct urine into the toilet area. For solid waste, astronauts must aim into a tiny area. A normal-sized toilet would be too costly, requiring a massive motor for airflow. "You better have good aim," Hernández told Metro. NASA trains astronauts thoroughly, with a class nicknamed “potty 101.” Hernández added, "They won’t check you off until you can do numbers one and two."
Hernandez also shared other interesting stories from his space travels. For instance, he said, that sleeping in space is just like “sleeping on a cloud.” He said that this is the best sleep ever as there are no pressure points.
Another tidbit he shared was about the things messy eaters would have to be aware of during their space voyage. If an astronaut opens too many packets of chips or biscuits at once, it will send the crumbs flying off all over space, causing a big mess, and even hampering the functioning of the technical systems. “You have to open one packet and eat it, and then open another,” he related. But above and beyond everything else, if someone aspires to be an astronaut and fly to space, they must first pass the pee and poo test. Without it, there is no mission for them.
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