Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Orbital Mechanics: Plunging Into Space Station Toilet Repairs


"That's the great thing about spaceflight. One day, you're doing the most outrageous thing humans have ever done -- spacewalking. The next day, you're fixing toilets and packing boxes."

-- Astronaut Michael Fossum, after Expedition 28 cremate Ronald Garan successfully repaired a toilet aboard the International Space Station.

CBS News has a full account of Wednesday's extraplanetary plumbing job. The "Orbital Outhosue Team" logo above appears on the wall over one of the station's two commodes -- a $19 million Russian-built toilet system delivered by the crew of the STS-126 mission in November 2008.