HOW DO ASTRONAUTS GO TO THE BATHROOM AND TAKE CARE OF OTHER PERSONAL HYGIENE?
Each Space Shuttle has a toilet that can be used by both men and women. Designed to be as much as possible like those on Earth, the units use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system. Solid wastes are compressed and stored on-board, and then removed after landing. Waste water is vented to space, although future systems may recycle it. The air is filtered to remove odor and bacteria and then returned to the cabin. Astronauts brush their teeth just like they do on Earth. There is no shower on the Shuttle, so astronauts must make do with sponge baths until they return home. The toilet that was first flown aboard STS-54 is completely new in design and offers new and improved features: The new toilet features better hygiene, larger storage capacity, greater dependability, and an overall cost savings in maintenance. -The previous model had a 14-day capacity for storage of waste material. The new model has an unlimited storage capacity. -The new model features a cylinder
