Russian Space Toilet

Russian Space Toilet

A demonstration example of a Russian space toilet, constructed by NPP Zvezda. The appearance and size are the same as the type of toilet used on the Russian Mir space station. As it is only a demonstration model it lacks the technological units needed for processing liquid and solid waste.

The toilet has a flexible hose with attachable funnels. Each cosmonaut had a personal funnel, differently shaped for men and women. The toilet used airflow to carry waste away from the cosmonaut's body – like a vacuum cleaner. Female astronauts reportedly find their liquid funnel system easier to use than their male counterparts. This is because the female funnels adhere to the body, causing a difference in air pressure that draws the waste down the tube. Male astronauts must hold their cone-like funnel slightly away from the body, so as not to get vacuumed in!

Between 1986 and 2001 Mir operated in low-Earth orbit and hosted over 100 individuals. It served as a microgravity research laboratory where cosmonauts could live and work on long duration missions. When Mir was nearing the end of its operation, its solar panels had become 40 per cent less effective. This was largely due to damage caused by frozen urine, which had been vented into space, colliding with the panels at high speeds. The toilets on Mir’s successor, the International Space Station, store liquid waste and recycle it as drinking water.