Monday, October 13, 2008

SPACE TOILET GOES ON THE FRITZ........
......again!



Zero-G commode fails just when space station is expecting company.

The master bathroom for three astronauts aboard the international space station is on the fritz again, just days before a trio of new spacefliers are due to launch toward the orbiting lab, NASA officials said Friday.

A temporary telemetry glitch also sent the space station into a so-called survival mode earlier this morning, changing the orbiting outpost's attitude and leading to system power downs for several hours.

"It failed late yesterday," NASA spokesperson John Ira Petty said of the Russian-built space commode in televised commentary from Mission Control in Houston. "Russian specialists are troubleshooting. The problem appears to be a [gas] separator issue."


A new toilet, a pair of astronaut bedrooms and a handy new system that recycles urine into pure, drinkable water are on the docket for a fall shuttle flight to the space station, where they'll be tested before the outpost can scale up to six-person crews next year.


This guy is not as prepared for these emergencies.......

.....as this guy!



8 comments:

Busy Bee Suz said...

those poor guys up there....with no gas seperator. AND: "handy new system that recycles urine into pure, drinkable water"
I don't think so!!! I would be bringing my own bottled water thankyouverymuch.
All for the betterment of science.....

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Holy crap.

Or is that holey crapper?

Grandma J., in addition to making a living teaching technology to the techno-challenged, you could very easily earn a living in comedy.

That last picture alone is downright hilarious...but that lampshade he's wearing on his head looks strangely familiar.....

Margaret Cloud said...

I like this post it is informative and very funny, the dog is smarter than NASA, I LOL when I saw your astronaut and the dog, nice touch. Thanks for coming by, no I did not take a kitten.

Kristin said...

I only trust the bear.

Fishin' Mama said...

Hilarious.....
The bear can now sit on your tv and help with the reception!!

Big Hair Envy said...

The problem is a "gas issue"? Perhaps a change in diet is in order to avoid future problems. Next, we need to discuss the treated urine water. I'm not convinced that it would be cool to be an astronaut.

Busy Bee Suz said...

tag, you are it!

Unknown said...

urine to water? oh my gosh! I hope you aren't considering going to outerspace Grandma J : ). Although, I would love to hear your stories about outer space: )! If anyone could make drinkable urine exciting, it would be you : )!