HOUSTON (AP) — The Artemis II astronauts are now more than halfway to the moon, preparing for their historic lunar fly-around that will take them further into space than any previous crew. However, one issue remains: the toilet in the Orion capsule is experiencing technical difficulties.
The crew of three Americans and one Canadian is expected to reach their destination on Monday, capturing images of the moon’s mysterious far side as they pass by. This mission marks the first time humans have traveled to the moon in over 53 years, continuing the legacy of NASA’s Apollo program.
Pilot Victor Glover described the view from space, saying, “The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger.”
Until the Orion capsule’s bathroom is fixed, Mission Control has instructed the astronauts to use backup urine collection bags. The so-called lunar loo malfunctioned after Wednesday’s launch and has been unreliable since. A version of the Artemis II toilet was previously tested on the International Space Station.
Engineers believe ice might be blocking the line that prevents urine from flushing properly. While the toilet is still functional for solid waste, it has caused some discomfort for the crew. Debbie Korth, NASA’s Orion program deputy manager, noted that the astronauts have also reported an unusual smell coming from the bathroom, which is located in the floor of the capsule with a door and curtain for privacy.
“Space toilets and bathrooms are something everybody can really understand. It’s always a challenge,” she said, recalling that even the space shuttle’s toilet often had issues.
John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, acknowledged that the space commode is a topic of interest among the public. He mentioned that while the toilet is currently in a good state, he would prefer it to be fully operational.
“They’re OK,” he said of the astronauts. “They trained to manage through the situation.”
Artemis II is set to break the distance record for human spaceflight, traveling more than 252,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from Earth before making a U-turn behind the moon and returning home without entering lunar orbit. This record is currently held by Apollo 13.
The Canadian Space Agency celebrated the country’s involvement in the mission, with astronaut Jeremy Hansen being the first non-U.S. citizen to travel to the moon. In a live televised event, Hansen spoke from Quebec, describing the extraordinary views from the Orion capsule.
Hansen, along with pilots Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch, and pilot Victor Glover, are the first lunar astronauts since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Koch and Glover made history as the first female and first Black astronauts to the moon, respectively.
Their nearly 10-day mission, which will conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific on April 10, is the first step in NASA’s plan for a sustainable moon base. The agency aims to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole by 2028.
