Is There Poop on the Moon? ft. Smarter Every Day

TL;DR

Learn about the bathroom habits of astronauts in space and the peculiarities of the Apollo missions.

Transcript

As a kid you learn all about the cool and awesome parts of space exploration. About moon walks and docking with the soviets and the heroing tale of Apollo 13 but for some reason you don't hear nearly as much about going to the bathroom in space. -Actually Henry I can tell you about it This right here is the Apollo 16 command module. and I'm going ... Read More

Key Insights

• 👨‍🚀 Space exploration often neglects to mention the less glamorous aspects, such as the bathroom habits of astronauts.
• 👾 The fecal collection assembly used in space was a simple plastic bag taped to the buttocks.
• 👨‍🚀 Urine was collected using a rubbery condom attached to a metal tube, offering astronauts the option to release it directly into space.
• 🛩️ Even a small amount of waste had to be reported to Mission Control due to its potential impact on spacecraft trajectory.
• 💩 The Apollo astronauts left various items on the Moon, including drills, batteries, and, surprising as it may seem, their poop.
• 👾 NASA had already developed a functional space toilet to address waste management during the Apollo missions.
• 🫵 To learn more about an experiment still on the Moon, viewers are directed to the "Smarter Every Day" channel.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did astronauts collect their poop in space?

Astronauts used a fecal collection assembly, a plastic bag taped to their buttocks, to collect and dispose of their poop in space.

Q: How did astronauts collect and dispose of urine in space?

For urine collection, astronauts used a rubbery condom attached to a metal tube, which could be connected to a bag or released directly into space.

Q: Did waste disposal affect spacecraft trajectory?

Yes, even a few hundred milliliters of urine could slightly alter the spacecraft's velocity. This change had to be reported to Mission Control during missions.

Q: Did astronauts bring their waste back from the Moon?

No, the astronauts left their waste, including poop, on the Moon. They prioritized bringing back valuable items like moon rocks.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Astronauts in space used a fecal collection assembly, which was a plastic bag taped to their buttocks, for poop collection and disposal.

• Urine was collected using a rubbery condom attached to a metal tube, which could be connected to a bag or released directly into space.

• Any waste disposal in space, even a few hundred milliliters of urine, had to be reported to Mission Control due to its potential impact on spacecraft trajectory.