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If something goes wrong with the precision manoeuvres on the way to the ISS, you can get long delays while the orbit is adjusted: http://www.space.com/20030-spacex-dragon-space-capsule-probl... I kinda wish they showed off a toilet :P


> If something goes wrong with the precision manoeuvres on the way to the ISS, you can get long delays while the orbit is adjusted: http://www.space.com/20030-spacex-dragon-space-capsule-probl.... I kinda wish they showed off a toilet :P

For the past few years, manned missions to the ISS take only 6 hours in ascent, all the rendez-vous maneuvering is being done in the duration of 4 orbits.

It used to take a few days, though. However, the crews take a pre-flight enema [0] and go through a diet to avoid having to go #2. There's a story that the Soyuz toilet has been used only once in ISS missions after a Cosmonaut had been eating prunes prior to departure back to earth [sorry, can't find a link].

So for orbital operations to/from the ISS, there's not much use for a space toilet. So little, that I wouldn't be surprised if there's no toilet at all and the fallback plan is to soil your pants, as crude as it sounds.

[0] http://gizmodo.com/5245218/the-trouble-with-space-toilets


Not really true, Expedition 35 definite took a couple of days to get to the ISS.(as per Commander Chris Hadfield's book.)


Soyuz has been using the short ascent only in the past few years. The Progress shuttle has been doing it longer.

When Hadfield went up, they were still using the older long procedure.


He went up on 13 March 2013, so obviously not all the missions in the last few years.


SpaceX branded crap bags will be a much sought after souvenir soon.


Know what's simpler than a toilet? Space diapers.




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