April 2026 Friday’s e-links: Astronaut Toilets

Every once in a while, (and sometimes each day) I listen to a great podcast, enjoy an article, or see a good video that I want to share with you. These are my e-links.

Last updated 4/10/26

With Artemis II returning today from its 10-day loop around the moon, it’s the ideal time to ponder space capsule commodes. Fortuitously, the best article I read this week and recommend to you was about the history of astronauts’ toilets. Like all space capsule devices, it is far more complex than we might realize.

We know that the Artemis II journey began with a toilet malfunction that they repaired. It was a far more sophisticated waste system than the space suit bags that had prevailed years ago. In a Wired article from 2020, when the current apparatus was first designed, we learn the challenge of urinating and defecating without gravity. While the men needed target practice, bathroom use was even tougher for the women. It reminds me of Fred Astaire and his dance partner Ginger Rogers. People liked to say that the routines were difficult for him but even more so for her. She did it backwards.

So too, for female astronauts that use a space capsule toilet.