Because of a malfunctioning toilet in their SpaceX capsule, astronauts who leave the International Space Station Sunday will need to change diapers.
Megan McArthur, a Nasa astronaut, described the situation as "suboptimal but manageable." From the time that the hatches close to Monday morning splashdown, she and her three crewmates will spend 20 hour in the capsule.
McArthur stated that spaceflight presents many small challenges. This is only one of many challenges we will face and address in our mission. We weren't too concerned about it.
Mission managers met on Friday to decide whether McArthur and her crew would be able to return home after launching replacements. SpaceX's launch was delayed by bad weather and an unnamed medical issue. SpaceX now plans to lift off Wednesday night, at the earliest.
McArthur will be accompanied by Thomas Pesquet, a French astronaut who told reporters that the past six-months had been exhausting. The crew conducted several spacewalks to upgrade stations power grid. They also suffered thruster firings from docked Russian vehicles, which sent the station into short spins.
The toilet leak was also a problem. They had to pull up the panels from their capsules to find urine pools. SpaceX's September private flight was the first to notice the problem. A tube that had been unglued dripped urine under the floorboards. SpaceX repaired the toilet in the capsule, but declared it unusable for use in orbit.
Engineers found that the capsule was structurally sound and safe to return home. Nasa calls it absorbent undergarments.
McArthur said that the astronauts who grew the first chilli peppers from space gave them a great morale boost. The astronauts were able to taste their harvest and add pieces of green and red peppers into tacos.
McArthur stated that they have a pleasant spiciness and a slight lingering burn. Some people found this more bothersome than others.
McArthur, Pesquet and Shane Kimbrough, a Nasa astronaut, are also returning. The Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hishide is also returning.
SpaceX took them to the station on 23 April. The capsule can stay in space for up to 210 days. Friday marked their 196th day in space. Two Russians and one American will remain in orbit.
