Question:
How do astronauts take bath and use restrooms in space?
2013-01-26 07:45:47 UTC
One more Qn, can we fire a gun on moon?
Three answers:
Gary B
2013-01-26 10:12:27 UTC
Typically,. they DON'T take baths. They take a "sponge bath" using a pre-wetted washcloth, similar to what is sometime used in nursing homes and hospitals on earth.



Toilets are run using suction, like a vacuum cleaner. For urination, each crew member has their own "receptacle" (specifically designed for male and female) that they can attach close to their "body parts". This "receptabcle" is attached by a hose to a small suction device. When they urinate, their urine is sucked into the receptacle and collected. The urine can be purified, and results in purified drinking water! ANy possible solid results (uric acid crystals, etc) are placed in the trash for return to earth.



Toilets for defecation work the same way. The bowl is attached to a suction device which prevents wastes from being released into the cabin area. The feces are dried, and the moisture removed is purified to make drining water. The solid remains are packed away in the trash, and returned to earth.



No, they DO NOT release garbage and bodily wastes into space.



If the BULLET contains both fuel AND oxidizer in the shell, then the gun can be fired.



But the bullet itself might reach orbital velocity on the moon, and thus actually reach orbit around the moon, or might actually fly away int space.
sujoyghosh70
2013-01-26 15:58:34 UTC
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How do astronauts take baths and use restrooms in space?

How do people urinate and defecate in space? Do spacecraft have bathtubs or showers?



Spacesuits are fitted with diapers so that astronauts can work outside for long hours (especially during spacewalks). You might be interested in this article (you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader) which describes the life in the space station and answers most of your questions. I shall give excerpts from this article concerning your questions.



First of all, toilets have various restrains (foot loops, thigh restraints, etc.) so that astronauts will not float away when he/she is using it. Also, due to weightlessness, the toilets rely on air and vacuum pump which creates suction to remove the waste. When urinating, astronauts use a large tube that is connected to the bottom front of the toilet. This tube also has air circulating through it carrying the urine to a holding tank. Anatomically correct urine funnel adapters are attached to this tube so that both men and women can use the same toilet. Here is a picture of a toilet in the space station.



The space station has a full body shower unit. When astronauts want to take a shower, they step into a cylindrical shower stall and close the door. They then get themselves wet and wash up just like you would on Earth. However, due to weightlessness, the water droplets and soap don't flow downwards into a drain, they float about. Astronauts use a suction device to get rid of the waste water. I do not think that the shuttle has this unit, but you can use a moist bath sponge to clean yourself in the shuttle if you want.
Irv S
2013-01-26 18:12:15 UTC
Verrrrry carefully.

There's a check-list for operation of the vacuum toilet.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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