What a Relief! New Space Toilet Being Designed
Written by Nancy Atkinson
New space toilet? Credt: Pink Tentacle
The International Space Station's toilet has had its troubles, and Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has decided they want to "eliminate" this problem for future astronauts and procure a new way to deal with human waste in space. They formed a space toilet research group and came up with an idea that is sure to revolutionize space travel. The wearable toilet. "Clean and easy to use, the envisioned space toilet is designed to be worn like a diaper around the astronaut’s waist at all times," says an article on Pink Tentacle. Engineers hope to have this next-generation space toilet available to use in space within the next five years.
How does it work?
"Sensors detect when the user relieves him or herself, automatically activating a rear-mounted suction unit that draws the waste away from the body through tubes into a separate container," the article says. It's also a full feature toilet/shower almost like a bidet, as well as eliminating potential embarrassing situations in space. "In addition to washing and drying the wearer after each use, the next-generation space toilet will incorporate features that eliminate unwanted sound and odor."
Plans are to test working prototypes of the space toilet in Japan’s Kibo lab aboard the ISS. The developers indicate their next-generation space toilet may also prove useful on Earth as well, such as in hospitals with bedridden patients.
The current ISS toilet sucks waste away like a vacuum cleaner. Use of that toilet requires practice before heading to space, particularly because an improperly seated user has the potential to create a messy situation.
Chiaki Mukai, head of JAXA’s Space Biomedical Research Office, is looking forward to the development of the new toilet. “Long-term stays in space place significant stress on the mind and body,” Mukai says. “The toilet plays a crucial role in maintaining good health in space.”
Source: Pink Tentacle
Filed under: Space Flight, Space Station
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January 8th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Oh boy. I am NOT going to tell you what crossed my mind while reading this. I'm NOT telling.
It came with chuckes, though. That much you may know.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
First : april fools ? Second : this is discuting !
Third : what about if the suction is too high you could get your a**hole ripped and your intestins sucked out.
Sucks to be a japanese astronaut !
January 8th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Imagine In the futur you will be able to take a shit and talk to your friends at the same time without them even noticiting …. on a date, at a job interview, at a funeral ! Sold !
January 8th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
We Fremen use the stilsuit. It recycles and filters urine so you can have drinking water later.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Thanks for making me realize the greatness of Gravity
January 8th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I can't stop laughing at the "imagined difficulties" you could get into and the performance anxiety of the "beta tester " of this.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:24 am
This would be alright if you only put it on when you're using it. Wearing it all the time would be retarded.
January 9th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Another idea stolen from "Wallace & Gromit" !!!
"The Wrong Trousers" for a "Grand Day Out"!!!
And if you have been living in on another planet, see:
http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/films/wrongtrousers/
and
http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/films/granddayout/
January 9th, 2009 at 2:00 am
In case I can display images:
January 9th, 2009 at 2:10 am
It just shows how hard to get out to the outer space.
Are we tied to the Earth?
January 9th, 2009 at 2:14 am
http://images.wallaceandgromit.com/films/wrongtrousers/gallery/2.jpg
January 9th, 2009 at 2:28 am
What an instrument, and what a way to solve a natural behavior to a very unnatural way off being, and outfit.
There can be said one positive thing about it. By this they have solve to problems in one stroke.
1) Shitting in zero gravity
2) Sex in space.
January 9th, 2009 at 6:50 am
This is one time when giving a crap is really important.
January 9th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Pink Tentacle? Just a wild guess but I'm thinking this is a hoax. :v)
January 9th, 2009 at 7:33 am
This brings to mind a scene from the movie 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'.
January 9th, 2009 at 8:30 am
This may be fine for the lady astronauts but for the men I can see issues unless they are planning on putting bromide in the drinking water
January 9th, 2009 at 9:10 am
No shit!
January 9th, 2009 at 9:25 am
talk about chafing!!!
January 9th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Does my bum look big in this?
January 9th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
What is wrong with the Japanese? Who would even conceive of wearing a toilet all the time whether in space or otherwise. Even in a hospital setting, I don't even want to think of the bed soars this would create. Without a way to easily take this thing off and on its doomed for failure.
January 10th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Wearing the thing all the time would definitely cause chafing and bed dores that could become deeply infected. Not good. Whoever wrote this up originally is a genius . . . comedian.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Astronauts could make better use of the sucking feature by wearing it backwards.
January 10th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
hahahahah.Very good!Whats next?baby powder?
January 10th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Wow! Only five years to get this new toilet into service. What's the rush?
January 11th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Really, someone thinks this is a suitable alternative?
January 11th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
This one should have run on April Fools Day.
A wearable toilet … lmao.
January 11th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Hey, laugh all you want, but this is a very serious to someone who has to spend nine hours in a spacesuit or more. Or a six month to a year in zero gee!
January 11th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I don't want to pooh-pooh anyone's good ideas, but this sounds like a disaster in the making. Such a small unit cannot do all it needs to do without great discomfort. Is there a catheter and a tube up their rectum? Sounds real comfy. And the "washing machine" feature will surely never malfunction? Now I"m laughing, too, imagining the inevitable. At best, the ISS will end up smelling like a nursing home (if it doesn't already). Just improve the common-use units already in place. It won't make it out of testing. Another "improvement" that is simply not needed.
January 16th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Hey! Everyone stop and think about all the challenging minutia we are reading about in connection with space flight. Design, time and money appear to be out of control. Does anyone genuinely belive we have the intellectual capacity to put together a system that will safely sustain life in space or on the surface of another celestial body for an extended period. If we ever find the talent and money to get man to Mars, it will probably be well into the next century.