Crossed In Space
Legs crossed, actually. The only toilet on the International Space Station has stopped working.
The international space station's lone toilet is broken, leaving the crew with almost nowhere to go.
So Nasa may order an in-orbit plumbing service call when space shuttle Discovery visits next week. Until then, the three-man crew will have to make do with a jury-rigged system when they need to urinate.
While one of the crew was using the Russian-made toilet last week, the toilet motor fan stopped working, according to Nasa.
Since then, the liquid waste gathering part of the toilet has been working on-and-off. Fortunately, the solid waste collecting part is functioning normally.
Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that they only put a single toilet on board. This is a single failure mode that is rather ridiculous. Hopefully, the next shuttle brings a plumber up.
By Quilly Mammoth, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 5:47 am
It’s not like you can go out on the back porch……….
By Lars Walker, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 8:27 am
Man, it’s a long way to the next rest stop.
By wheels, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 10:43 am
Time to cue an appropriate song, then. How about "<a href="http://www.prometheus-music.com/audio/comfortsofhome.mp3">The Comforts of Home</a>," by Ookla the Mok? This is a song that refers to the fact that the original Star Trek blueprints included no such facilities.
By Mwalimu Daudi, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 12:04 pm
Can’t the astronauts just use one at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe until theirs is fixed?
By Bleepless, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 12:25 pm
A plumber? How much do you think NASA should spend?
By Stix, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 1:55 pm
Isn’t there a intergalactic hamburger joint like in the Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy they can go to???
By quilly mammoth, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 3:02 pm
I guess your spambot still doesn’t like me.
By Gaius, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 4:51 pm
They’d need the Port-A-Potty at the End of the Universe….
By Steve Burri, Wednesday, 28 May , 2008 @ 8:17 pm
A NASA plumber? They’d have to engineer a special space suit that exposes his butt-crack.