NASA's Artemis II Mission Faces Recurring Toilet Malfunctions During Lunar Test Flight

The system, similar to the one used on the International Space Station, uses airflow to manage waste in microgravity.

The toilet issues began on the first flight day after the crew reached space. A problem with the pump, which required additional water to prime, caused the initial malfunction. Mission specialist Christina Koch, with assistance from Mission Control, resolved it by adding water to the system.

Despite the fix, the toilet malfunctioned again during wastewater dumps. Unlike the closed-loop recycling on the International Space Station, Orion's wastewater is ejected into space periodically. One dump halted prematurely due to suspected ice buildup blocking the vent nozzle, as observed in crew video showing particles streaming past the window.

To address safety concerns, NASA instructed the crew to halt urination use of the toilet while investigating the ice issue. Bowel movements remained permitted using water-tight bags. As a backup for urination, the crew employed Collapsible Contingency Urinals, tube-like devices designed for liquid collection in microgravity.

The urine collection tank in Orion has limited capacity, comparable to a small office trash can. Debbie Korth, NASA's Orion deputy program manager, noted during a news conference that timely emptying is essential to avoid overflow.

“Copy, we are ‘no go’ for toilet,”

NASA resolved the vent blockage by orienting Orion to expose the nozzle to sunlight for several hours, melting the ice. Subsequent wastewater dumps confirmed improved flow, with full functionality restored late on Saturday.

A communicator from NASA's Johnson Space Center informed the crew: “Breaking news... at this time, you are ‘go’ for all types of uses of the toilet.”

Similar issues occurred on the 1984 Space Shuttle mission STS-41-D, where ice buildup in the vent forced the crew to use backup bags for much of the flight. The crew then used the shuttle's robotic arm to dislodge the ice.

Judd Frieling, ascent flight director for Artemis II, explained the initial pump fix: “Once we figured out that we didn’t put enough water in, we put more in there, made sure that it was essentially primed – the pump was primed – and then the toilet came right back up.”

The mission tests Orion's capabilities for future lunar landings under the Artemis program, with no other technical problems reported as of Sunday.