Peeing in Space–a Problem Solved…Eventually
How Do You Pee in Space?
It’s the question astronauts get asked the most: how do you pee in space?
Alan Shepard became the first American to fly in space on May 5, 1961. Although NASA engineers had put considerable planning into his mission, noticeably missing from this extensive preparation was a way for him to urinate in his spacesuit. During a lengthy launch delay, the inevitable happened: Shepard had to relieve himself. The result? His urine short-circuited his electronic biosensors.
In less than a year, engineers had remedied this seeming oversight for John Glenn’s Mercury orbital flight. The system developed for Glenn stood the test of time, remaining in use until the early days of the Space Shuttle program.
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