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 to tell you about how they pooped in space.
I am at the US space and rocket center, and this is
a fecal collection assembly.
Its basically a plastic bag that astronauts would tape to their butt.
-Alright so, number 2 in a cramped sealed, command module with
"sounds" like fun...
Well what about number 1?
Well. The urine transfer system
was basically a rubbery condom attached to a metal tube which you could either
connect to a bag, or through a
differential pressure valve so you
could pee directly into space.
So this, is what hooks you up to space.
Todo lo que te protege es esta válvula
This/
You/ Valve / Outer Space
Just think about that for a second.
-I think I might pass...
which is actually what that yellow bag is for
so you can pee first and dump it into space later
-That port is where the urine came out
and if you think about it, anything your throwing off your spacecraft
is gonna change the trajectory of your spacecraft
-In the case of a few hundred milliliters of urine and a
45,000Kg space craft, you might only
change the velocity of your craft by a few hundredths
of a km/h, on a 3 day trip to the moon
thats enough to where you have to let mission control know when you stop
to use the facilutys and once your on the moon
collecting moon rocks, well.. the lunar module's ascent stage only
has enough fuel to carry a few hundred pounds of extra weight.
-So here's my question. So if I had the option to take my poop,
put it in this bag.
Would I rather bring this back in the acsent stage, or a moon rock.
-The choice is clear! At least, it was to the apollo astronauts.
In jedessine bags like this one the astronauts left a lot of stuff on the moon.
drills, baterries, food containers and towels
and cameras
moon boots and, there it is.
Poop. There are no who ways about it when
the astronauts left their poop,
on the moon.
By the way, NASA has the space toilet figured out at this time.
So lets move from this bathroom humour.
-Actually Henry, are you OK with me hangin' out with some of your viewers in the bathroom a little longer
OK, cool, so if you would, come over to my channel: "smarter everyday"
I'm gonna explain an experiment that is still on the moon.
That I only think
about when I go to the bathroom
It still works, too. So, any of you guys wanna come? Come on, click here.
This was filmed on the actual
moon right now. -Yeah it rained earlier today
on the moon.
- So we are breaking the seal on a 60 year-old urine transfer bag.
We keep it here at the museum at the US space and rocket center.
No way...
This is like the most intimate piece
its made by whirlpool.
[laughs]