Here are two videos from our Official Website Astronaut™, Samantha Cristoforetti, explaining how inhabitants of the International Space Station keep themselves clean and do their business (I love the “#1/#2” distinction)! I didn’t realize that urine was recycled into potable water, but it makes sense.
I’ve just learned that Astro Sam is coming back to Earth this week, which is horrible, as I, at least, will miss her exploits, humor and informative videos. And I guess you get only one stint on the ISS. Do we need to appoint another Official Website Astronaut™?
Her first video explains washing up:
The second is about elimination:
h/t: Brian, Jon
Oh, she’s coming home soon… yes, I will certainly miss all of the hard work she does to virtually bring the space station to us! I’ve been following her on Flickr for a while where she’s posted many photographs of her training and then from the ISS. She’s a prolific astronaut photographer! https://www.flickr.com/photos/astrosamantha/
> And I guess you get only one stint on the shuttle.
I’m thinking you meant “on the ISS”, but even that’s not true. Multiple people have done multiple tours.
I fixed it. There’s hope yet, then. . .
Kevin Costner pulled off that trick in “Waterworld” with a rejiggered Mr. Coffee machine.
The movie 2001 is the first, to my knowledge, to deal explicitly with zero gravity toilets.
Please read the instructions carefully.
No discussion of toilet paper??
Yeah, that surprised me, and I don’t see any TP either.
If they do have it, I wonder if it’s under, over, or other??
You know that if it’s wrong, Diana will have to find a way to get up there. . .
Ah, but which way is up in free-fall? 😉
Fascinating, I was hoping she was going to cover how they wash their hair, and sure enough she did (near the end of video 1)!
I had wondered about the hair-washing with the previous videos. Now I can sleep nights…
This isn’t the first time we have been treated to a hair washing demonstration: Expedition 36 Flight Engineer Karen Nyberg shows how you wash and rinse your hair in space
BTW, I nominate Dr. Nyberg to the Official Website Astronaut™ Hall of Fame.
Oops! Here’s the missing link: http://www.nasa.gov/content/how-do-you-wash-your-hair-in-space
This was fascinating. It makes one realize that every little thing in 0 gravity is a bit more complicated.
As for the toilet paper question, if you go to the 10 sec. mark of the video you can see that toilet paper is a feature of the system which was designed by the ‘Portable Outhouse Team’. The ‘over’ vs ‘under’ orientation of the toilet paper seems deliberately ambiguous, though, and so it must be Top Secret.
I figured the orientation must be Top Secret. Maybe they alternate weekly to keep the astronauts from bickering…
At least they don’t have to argue about whether to leave the lid up or down.
Lid down, TP over the top. I have spoken! 🙂
I have no desire to go into space unless I can poop like Capt. Kirk.
reminds me of a Robin Williams quote after his heart surgery: “I have a cow valve now. It’s wonderful. I can shit standing up.”
Didn’t know they recycle urine into potable water? Well, then, how else do you think they get the foam on top of the cappuccino?
For a somewhat different water-related experience, also involving an Italian astronaut, see http://blogs.esa.int/luca-parmitano/2013/08/20/eva-23-exploring-the-frontier/
Whether it’s planning for emergencies or planning for dealing with the minutiae of day to day life on the ISS, the whole thing is an extraordinary testament to the skill, courage, rigour and ingenuity of the engineers involved whether on the station itself or back here on the ground.