The breakout star of NASA's Artemis 2 mission to the moon isn't an astronaut — it's the space toilet
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By Tariq Malik
Published on April 5, 2026.
NASA's Artemis 2 Orion space toilet is the standout feature of the historic astronaut mission to the moon, taking a starring role on the Artemis 2 mission. The toilet's urine function went offline on the first day of the mission, but was fixed by mission specialist Christina Koch after it malfunctioned. However, the toilet was not fully functional, with a smell similar to that of an electrical heater being turned on. The crew also had problems venting urine overboard from the toilet's storage tank, which stopped after venting only 3% of its load, leading flight controllers to suspect a blockage from ice buildup. The team is currently using a Contingency Collapsible Urinal device to collect their urine and dispose it overboard. The focus on the Apollo mission is on the toilet, as NASA plans to develop the toilet in 2020.
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