Orbital sigh of relief as new loo arrives
vnunet.com, 05 Jun 2008
The faulty toilet on the International Space Station has now been fixed, much to the relief of the astronauts onboard.
The Russian-made toilet, which cost $19m, failed last week. A broken fan and pump meant that the facility could not handle liquid waste and astronauts were forced to use a much smaller system in the station's emergency capsule.
The device has now been repaired using a part brought up on the Space Shuttle Discovery.
"It does appear that the service-module toilet is back in business," said Nasa mission control broadcaster Rob Navias. "Three separate tests indicate good air flow."
If the repairs had failed Nasa did have a backup plan. The Shuttle also carried a supply of plastic bags treated with adhesives and antibacterial substances.
Three separate tests indicate good air flow
Rob Navias Nasa
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