When nature calls in space

Today Explained explores the historic Artemis II mission, marking the first time humans have flown beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era. The crew of four astronauts—Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and a fourth unnamed member—will fly by the Moon, breaking records for the farthest human travel from Earth and making history with the first woman, first Black astronaut, and first Canadian to reach lunar proximity. While the mission is a critical dress rehearsal for future lunar landings and long-term habitation, the episode highlights a surprisingly pivotal aspect of space travel: the toilet. K.R. Calloway of Scientific American details how NASA’s new Universal Waste Management System represents a major leap from the Apollo-era plastic bags, using airflow and vacuum technology to manage waste in microgravity. Despite its importance, the toilet has already experienced technical issues, including ice blockages and odor problems, underscoring how even mundane systems can pose existential challenges for deep space missions. The episode frames the toilet not as a joke but as a cornerstone of sustainable space exploration—essential for enabling longer missions to the Moon and Mars.