Space now has 10 toilets

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At this time yesterday, there were only nine toilets in the space. Today, the recently launched Orion space capsule’s chest of drawers gives it a score of 10.

Orion (en route around the moon): 1
Crew Dragon docked with the ISS: 1
Soyuz docked with the ISS: 1
Shenzhou docked at TSS: 1
Tiangong Space Station: 2
International Space Station: 4

However, the toilets got off to a bit of a rocky start just a few hours into the mission. Mission specialist Christina Koch noted a problem starting up the part of Orion’s waste management system that collects urine.

“The toilet fan would be blocked,” NASA spokesman Gary Jordan said during a live commentary on the mission, according to the BBC. “Now the ground crews are giving instructions on how to access the fan and clear that area in order to reactivate the toilet for the mission.”

Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch receives training on the Orion Universal Waste Management System at NASA's Johnson Space Center in January 2026. Image: NASA. — Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch receives training on the Orion Universal Waste Management System at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in January 2026. *Image: NASA.*

According to Norm Knight, NASA’s director of flight operations, a problem with the controller on the toilet caused the malfunction. Best of all, astronauts could still use it to poop. The crew worked closely with Mission Control in Houston and restored the toilet to normal operation.

diagram of a space toilet — The toilet was designed to address feedback from astronauts regarding comfort and ease of use. Image: NASA.

The high-tech toilets will be used by the four intrepid astronauts of the Artemis II crew during their 10-day journey around the Moon. Officially called the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), these compact 5 cubic foot toilets are specially designed for microgravity. It uses airflow for urine and solid waste. Excrement is stored in odor-controlled drums and pre-treated urine is flushed overboard daily. The toilet also features a redesigned seat and funnel to “enhance comfort and usability for all astronauts.” The word “universal” in UWMS is a key element. Its core design concept means it can be easily integrated into different spacecraft and life support systems for future missions.

a toilet area — The universal waste management system aboard the Orion space capsule will serve the Artemis II mission and beyond. *Image: NASA*

On Wednesday, April 1 at 6:35 p.m. EDT, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will travel approximately 685,000 miles on their round trip around the Moon.

A view over the shoulders of NASA astronauts Victor Glover (left) and Reid Wiseman (right), pilot and commander, respectively, inside the Orion spacecraft as they participate in a proximity operations demonstration. This demonstration tests the spacecraft's ability to manually maneuver relative to another spacecraft, the intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage, after separation, using its onboard navigation sensors and reaction control thrusters. Image: NASA — A view over the shoulders of NASA astronauts Victor Glover (left) and Reid Wiseman (right), pilot and commander, respectively, inside the Orion spacecraft as they participate in a proximity operations demonstration. This demonstration tests the spacecraft’s ability to manually maneuver relative to another spacecraft, the intermediate cryogenic propulsion stage, after separation, using its onboard navigation sensors and reaction control thrusters. *Image: NASA*

The spacecraft will remain in high Earth orbit for about a day, while the crew performs a manual pilot demonstration to test Orion’s manipulation capabilities. At its farthest point, Artemis II will be approximately 250,000 miles from Earth. On April 6, the crew could surpass the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles from Earth.