A 30 Million Dollar Fix

[Dustparticle]

 

 I do not think my toilet would worth 30 million dollars if it was made of gold. Thank God they don’t have to open the window to toss their waste.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/02/nasa-artemis-ii-orion-spaceship-toilet

Edited Thursday at 08:19 PM by Dustparticle

[Thomas Walker]

First lunar mission in 50 years. First time a woman, a black man, or anyone other than an American has left the planetary Sphere of Influence at all; the life's work of thousands of people; and the longest distance from Earth anyone has ever traveled...

 

And the first thing the Press talks about: Space Toilets!

 

They did the same thing with the ISS, the SpaceX Inspiration mission, the Space Shuttle, and on the Big Bang theory.

 

 

[computerwiz]

16 hours ago, Thomas Walker said:

And the first thing the Press talks about: Space Toilets!

 

Welcome to Mainstream media!  Always covering the "important" issues of the world.  

[Dustparticle]

1 hour ago, computerwiz said:

 

Welcome to Mainstream media!  Always covering the "important" issues of the world.  

 

 The Mainstream has nothing else better to do. I never my whole life see so much of junk media. If my toilet backs up, I might as well call my local media to get on the news.

[Shawnster]

9 minutes ago, Dustparticle said:

The Mainstream has nothing else better to do.

 

This really isn't fair. The mainstream media has seemingly infinite news output. 

 

Reading about these toilets is less emotional for some than reading about the war. 

[Qapla]

In all fairness, in addition to the mainstream media coverage, it has also been covered on places like science specific media as well as social media like Reddit, Instagram and various other niche and social media sites.

[dljbsp]

Yeah… I get the joke—but honestly, after oxygen and food, that might be the most important piece of equipment on the whole spacecraft.

 

You’re sealed in a tube, nowhere to go, nowhere to “step outside,” and suddenly that system doesn’t work? That’s not inconvenience—that’s a full-blown health situation real fast.

 

So yeah, thirty million for a toilet sounds ridiculous… right up until you’re the one onboard hoping it works exactly as designed. At that point it stops being a toilet and starts being one of the most important life-support systems on the ship.

 

Funny headline… but I’m not laughing if I’m sitting up there relying on it.

[dljbsp]

2 hours ago, Shawnster said:

Reading about these toilets is less emotional for some than reading about the war.

I tried to breathe some emotion into it. Let me know what you think. 😊

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Inside a capsule bound far beyond Earth, routine human needs take on unfamiliar weight. With no atmosphere to step into and no margin for error, even the most ordinary bodily functions must be managed with exacting precision.

 

Engineers behind the Artemis program have spent years developing a waste management system built to operate flawlessly in microgravity. It must isolate contaminants, protect air quality, and safeguard crew health over the course of a mission measured not in hours, but in days and distance. In this environment, failure isn’t messy—it’s dangerous.

 

On the ground, the price tag has drawn attention, often framed as excessive. But specialists involved in the design describe a different reality: one where every component must perform under conditions that leave no room for improvisation, repair crews, or second chances.

 

For the astronauts who will rely on it, the system is neither novel nor humorous. It is quiet assurance—one more unseen layer of protection carrying them safely through a place where even the smallest details matter.

[dljbsp]

I have to admit… when I first thought about trying to make this sound emotional, I actually paused and took a deep breath.

 

Then it hit me—I needed some fresh air… because this whole story kind of stinks.

[Kunlesky]

23 hours ago, Dustparticle said:

 

 I do not think my toilet would worth 30 million dollars if it was made of gold. Thank God they don’t have to open the window to toss their waste.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/02/nasa-artemis-ii-orion-spaceship-toilet

 

I was just discussing this week in front of a youthful audience why it is impossible to have the throne (CW Crapper) made of pure 24k gold, given its malleability and ductility. I was using the current White House as an example. The topic was electroplating (coating steel or other metals with higher tensile strength with gold on the outside, as is done with rings and chains). Sitting on that means ending up inside the business itself😀