Toilets come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and specifications. As a result, their cost can vary greatly. In fact, it’s estimated that residential toilets alone can range between $75 and $8,265, according to Home Advisor. However, the most expensive restroom in the world isn’t even on this planet. Currently, the costliest toilet ever assembled is sitting high in the International Space Station.
In 2020, NASA launched a $23 million commode into space to test out its functionality on the ISS. Dubbed the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), this extraterrestrial toilet is the result of six years of painstaking engineering from the top minds in the country. If this commode lives up to expectations, a second version will be used on the upcoming Artemis 2 lunar mission and might even be the toilet of choice for a potential trip to Mars.
Going in Space
Going to space is an earth-shattering idea that still amazes and inspires, but going in space is something that doesn’t get quite as much attention. Without any gravity to assist in the process, astronauts have to rely on another force to facilitate the natural flow of things: suction. It’s probably the least glorious aspect of space travel, but it’s essential. The new ISS commode makes use of a large fan to collect all the waste astronauts create in proper receptacles.
To pee, astronauts have to use a funnel attached to a hose that pulls the urine into a collection chamber to prevent it from floating away. Water, an invaluable and rare commodity in space, is actually separated from the urine to be reused. NASA is looking into the same recycling process for fecal matter, but for now, the process of going number two remains rather simple.
When nature calls, astronauts sit on the top of the space tank that automatically collects the excrement via the same suction process. The waste is collected in small bags that are replaced regularly. When the excrement bags are full, they’re jettisoned into space since astronauts have no other way of ridding the toxic waste. It’s not a pretty process, but the UWMS is a massive improvement for astronauts going in space…….See More
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