We Can Put A Man On The Moon But We Can't Provide Astronauts With A Working Toilet

[Me.]

“CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The bathroom lines at the already crowded space shuttle and space station complex got a lot longer Sunday because of a flooded toilet.

One of two commodes aboard the international space station broke down, right in the middle of complicated robotic work being conducted by the two crews. The pump separator apparently flooded.

Mission Control advised the astronauts to hang an "out of service" sign on the toilet until it could be fixed. In the meantime, the six space station residents had to get in line to use their one good toilet. And Endeavour's seven astronauts were restricted to the shuttle bathroom.

There have never been so many people — 13 — together in space.

The toilet repair work fell to Belgian Frank De Winne and American Michael Barratt, who had to don goggles, gloves and masks. They ripped apart the compartment, working well into the evening. Mission Control finally instructed them to call it a day and resume the effort Monday morning.” Cont…

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g8gpZRl3t8mV2RxsVjIuPU75dJeAD99HQS7G0

[seemunkee]

1. Jiggle the handle

That usually works

[Robb]

27. LOL nt

[HopeHoops]

2. "Fuck. We forgot to bring a plunger."

"Houston, we have a problem."

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Houston, we have ANOTHER problem ...

This "Out of Order" sign won't "hang" in zero-gravity.

This is series!!11!

:rofl:

[HopeHoops]

6. "Uh, Houston, YOU get your ass up here and stick your hand down the toilet!"

"Fuck that!"

[Obamanaut]

18. Hang onto that thought next time someone says plumbers are overpaid. nt

[HopeHoops]

19. I've replaced a LOT of toilets.

It is a shitty job ;}

[Obamanaut]

23. That's why I'm not a plumber. I did a lot of that sort of work as a

teenager. We were poor, and supplemented the family income with 'handy-man' jobs on weekends - moving furniture, plumbing (pre PVC era). As soon as I got out of HS, I went to basic training and retired 28 years later. Still have the occasional plumbing job, but it's my house only.

[MercutioATC]

3. I'd think that 6 people could share a toilet without much of a problem.

Yes, it'd be nice if stuff never failed, but sharing a toilet with 5 other people doesn't seem like an incredible hardship.

[Romulox]

5. Our space program is worse than worthless--it's a national embarassment

and thoroughly emblematic of the out-of-steam (and ideas!) society we've developed into.

[Rebubula]

7. Hyperbole much??

Seriously...a stuck toilet (perhaps one of the astronauts laid a pringle can sized deuce in the head - that always messes up my bathroom) causes you to say that NASA is a national embarrassment?

I suspect that you can find fault and folly in everything to match your dim view of the world and the US.

[Romulox]

11. No, the space shuttle and the ISS are the national embarassments.

:hi:

[HamdenRice]

14. That's hilarious

A broken toilet on the space station is a symbol of our society.

:silly: :crazy: :silly:

Toilet aside, they're working with some pretty advanced technology for an out of ideas society.

:rofl:

[Romulox]

17. Don't worry! An "ours is the best of all possible worlds" status quo apologist

sitting right here on the planet Earth is also emblematic of our enfeebled society! :hi:

[HamdenRice]

29. And why are you an apologist for the clubbing to death of baby seals for their fur???

I love the way people on DU discuss things by telling others what they "must" believe.

:rofl:

[PVnRT]

16. Huh?

That post made no sense.

[Obamanaut]

20. You're right of course. There are sooo many other space programs

for comparison. :sarcasm:

[HopeHoops]

8. "Hey everyone - guess what - it is BURRITO NIGHT!"

"And wasn't that boiled cabbage we had for lunch yummy?"

[Captain Hilts]

9. Russia built an aircraft carrier without a working toilet. Amazing. nt

[Liberal In Texas]

10. That reminds me of...

Full text:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://ebooktest.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html&usg=__rd32Me42QH6H5TAsF2m36rmAngY=&h=1508&w=1022&sz=921&hl=en&start=87&um=1&tbnid=jh_j6xAEeqcGVM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dzero-g%2Btoilet%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26start%3D84%26um%3D1

[Webster Green]

12. Zero-gravity toiletry is very challenging indeed.

I hope they get it all worked out. :*

[slampoet]

15. EXACTLY. Even if you have a good design, Where and how are you going to TEST it?

I have nothing but sympathy for these poor engineers and their astronauts too.

[PVnRT]

21. Yeah, especially without that little thing called "gravity"

Every fluid flow problem I've ever seen has that little g somewhere in the equation. People making jokes about this really have no fucking clue how engineering works, but that's not really surprising.

[Bluzmann57]

13. Can they just step outside?

Oh, I guess not. Might be hard to go through the spacesuit. Just don't eat a lot of fiber and above all else, don't drink beer until it's fixed. :-)

[Mr. Sparkle]

22. After they fixed it, one Astronaut is overheard saying ...

"One small flush for man, one giant plunge for mankind."

[walldude]

24. Where's Joe The Plumber when you really need him.... n/t

[trayfoot]

25. We can put a man on the moon, but we cannot afford

Health Care Reform! It's those "sticky" peiorities!

[Me.]

30. Right

And how much did that broken toilet cost?

[guitar man]

26. they should have known this was going to happen

I mean, look at who they let design it :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxMhf5Ju8Yk

[HamdenRice]

28. Were the astronauts who were doing the repairs butt cracks showing above their space pants?

Why is it that plumbers always have their butt cracks showing when they work on sinks and toilets? And does it happen in space?