Technical problem in the Orion capsule: the crew was forced to use backup systems

On board the Artemis II mission to the Moon, an unexpected problem arose with the toilet system. The incident occurred on the third day of the Orion capsule’s flight, when the crew was about 320 thousand kilometers from Earth.

According to CNN, NASA representatives reported that the cause of the failure was frozen urine in the ventilation line, which made it difficult to remove waste into open space. To solve this problem, the flight control center decided to rotate the capsule so that the frozen segment could warm up in the sun.

After the actions taken, the system was partially restored – the tank began to gradually empty. However, in some cases, the toilet was allowed to be used only for solid waste. The malfunction was completely eliminated closer to midnight, and the crew was able to use the system without restrictions.

The crew includes astronauts Reed Weissman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and a representative of the Canadian Space Agency Jeremy Hansen. After the system was restored, they expressed gratitude to the ground team for the quick resolution of the issue.

This is not the first technical problem with the toilet during the mission. Already after launch from the Kennedy Space Center, the crew encountered a pump malfunction. It turned out that the system did not work due to an insufficient amount of water required for its operation, but the problems were quickly and successfully resolved.

In case of malfunctions, the astronauts had to temporarily use backup means – special bags, similar to those used during the Apollo missions in the 1960s.

The toilet system on the Orion capsule separates liquid and solid waste: urine is discharged into open space, while solid waste is stored until return to Earth. Despite the incident, the flight continues as normal, and no serious threats to the crew have been recorded.