Inside the Secret, Surprising Challenges of Astronauts’ Bathroom Breaks in Space
Picture this: It’s May 5, 1961, and Alan Shepard—the first American to rocket into space—is strapped into his Mercury capsule, ready for lift-off. But here’s the twist: three hours of endless waiting turn a simple countdown into a desperate struggle with a rather urgent earthly need. Yep, even astronauts have to, well, answer nature’s call. You’d think NASA would’ve nailed the space bathroom dilemma by then, right? Nope. Facing the uncharted frontier of zero gravity bathroom breaks created a saga of ingenious, bizarre, and occasionally downright gross contraptions. From wool spacesuits soaked in astronaut urine to “ego-sized” space condoms, and from failed space toilets to floating poo incidents that have baffled crews—space hygiene is a wild ride all on its own. So, ever wonder how astronauts manage their business when there’s no gravity to help? Buckle up for a journey through the strangely gripping, surprisingly complicated history of the space bathroom—the one frontier no one talks about but everyone has to deal with. LEARN MORE.
It was 8:15 AM on May 5, 1961, and astronaut Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was facing an unexpected crisis. Chosen to be the first American – and the second human – in history to blast into space, at 5:15 AM Shepard had been strapped into his Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7 and the hatch bolted shut behind him. Liftoff was scheduled for 7:20 AM, but a series of delays caused by cloud cover over Cape Canaveral and various technical glitches resulted in Shepard sitting atop his Redstone rocket for over three hours. Soon, an unwelcome feeling began to creep over Shepard’s body, growing worse and worse with every passing minute. At first he tried to ignore it, but eventually the feeling became so unbearable Shepard was forced radio his Capsule Communicator or CapCom: he had to urinate – badly. Mission Control was stunned. No one had even considered how Shepard was supposed answer the call of nature; after all, his suborbital mission was only supposed to last 15 minutes. It was a problem which has plagued astronauts ever since, prompting engineers to develop a variety of weird, wonderful – and sometimes disgusting – solutions. This is the story of how astronauts boldly “go” where no one has gone before.
Prior to the Space Race, little thought was given to how future astronauts would relieve themselves during missions. The first system for collecting urine during long flights was developed in 1955 for pilots of the Lockheed U2 spy plane, who, flying at altitudes in excess of 21,000 metres, had to wear partial-pressure suits in order to survive. This system took the form of an in-dwelling catheter, a small plastic tube threaded up the pilot’s urethra into their bladder which automatically siphoned urine through a hose into a collection bag. As you can imagine, this system was extremely uncomfortable and decidedly less than popular with pilots. It also ran the risk of irritating or damaging the urethra walls and causing urinary tract infections. Later, an external system was developed that used a condom-like latex sleeve that rolled over the pilot’s penis. But while significantly more comfortable than the catheter, this Urine Collection Device or UCD was not without its problems. Indeed, in a 2010 survey of U2 pilots based at Beale Air Force Base in California, 60% of respondents reported problems with their UCDs, including poor fit, leakage, and skin irritation from prolonged contact with urine.
Furthermore, due to the extreme secrecy within the CIA – which operated the U2 – external UCD technology was not shared with NASA. And while in 1957 a group of British inventors patented a similar device for use with pressure suits “or equipment whose position or body harness makes normal urination highly inconvenient or impossible” which diverted urine into a bag of absorbent material, this design does not appear to have reached NASA planners either.
Following the launch of Project Mercury – the first American manned space programme – in 1958, the United States Air Force sponsored a study on human waste collection in a spacecraft. For the short-duration Mercury missions then being planned, faecal collection was not deemed necessary, though urine collection would likely be required. The study examined contemporary urine collection devices then on the market and concluded that the designs in use aboard military aircraft were inadequate due to excessive leakage – a problem that would only be exacerbated by microgravity. Instead, the final report recommended the use of commercial UCDs used in hospitals on bedridden male patients, which formed a tight seal around the penis and featured a one-way valve to preventback flow. Strangely, however, NASA seemingly ignored this and similar studies, and both the original Mercury Seven astronauts’ training and the testing of the Mercury Spacecraft and the Navy Mk.IV space suit were conducted entirely without any form of UCD. Indeed, when a 12-year-old Pennsylvania schoolgirl wrote to NASA in February 1961 to ask:
SkaterTrainers- Skateboard Tricks Fast No Experience Needed- Fun, Safe, and Easy- Ollies, Kickflips and More- All Ages- Accessories Make Great Stocking Stuffers Gifts for Teen Boys and Girls
$28.99 (as of March 3, 2026 16:43 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
White Leaf Provisions Organic Purees / Baby Food Pouches - Fruits, Veggies & Grains, Toddler snack, Regeneratively Farmed, No Added Sugar, Non-GMO, BPA-Free Pouches 3.17 oz (Pack of 24, Mango + Carrot + Banana + Pear)
$70.37 (as of March 3, 2026 16:43 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Joking Hazard Enlarged Box Empty Box for Card Storage
$12.00 (as of March 3, 2026 16:43 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
1MORE Triple Driver in-Ear Earphones Hi-Res Headphones with High Resolution, Bass Driven Sound, MEMS Mic, in-Line Remote, High Fidelity for Smartphones/PC/Tablet - Silver
(as of March 3, 2026 16:43 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Post Comment