Artemis II's space toilet glitch reads like Big Bang Theory script but their mission is no joke
Artemis II’s mission to circumnavigate the Moon is a triumph of human ingenuity and bravery
In the Classified Materials Turbulence episode of sitcom The Big Bang Theory, there is considerable commotion when engineer Howard Wolowitz suddenly realises the International Space Station’s toilet, which he designed, is on the brink of a catastrophic failure. Much comedy then ensues as he and his fellow scientists attempt to find a solution that the astronauts can deploy in space.
And it was a case of life imitating art when the crew on board Artemis II reported a problem with their space toilet shortly after take-off. Thankfully, Nasa was able to report that, “working closely with mission control in Houston”, the astronauts had been able to restore it to “normal operations” fairly quickly. Phew.
Such glitches may be mildly amusing, but they highlight how different almost everything is in space and how difficult it is to operate in a weightless environment beyond the safety of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Artemis II’s mission to circumnavigate the Moon is a triumph of human ingenuity and bravery that should be celebrated. We must always strive to expand the boundaries of knowledge, science and, indeed, plumbing.
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