---
title: "Russia Says the American Toilet on the Space Station Blew Up"
description: "## Space Toilet"
date: "2019-02-05"
modified: "2019-02-05"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/iss-toilet-russia-american"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "iss"
  - "Russia"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# Russia Says the American Toilet on the Space Station Blew Up

![Russian media is reporting that the American toilet on the International Space Station (ISS) burst late last week, spilling gallons of fluid.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/russia-american-toilet-space-station-blew-up.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Arek Socha/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Space Toilet

Russian media is [reporting that](<https://sputniknews.com/science/201902041072108506-water-leakage-iss/>) the American toilet on the International Space Station (ISS) burst late last week, spilling gallons of fluid that astronauts had to catch with towels.

Sure, it sounds like a story about an exceptionally bad roommate — but it might also be the latest escalation in the deterioration of relations between Russia and the U.S. in space, lending grim gravitas to the plumbing snafu.

## Pee Tape

A source [told *Sputnik News*](<https://sputniknews.com/science/201902041072108506-water-leakage-iss/>), which is closely affiliated with the Russian government, that the toilet in the U.S. section of the ISS malfunctioned on Friday, spilling water into the microgravity environment. Water is a precious resource on the ISS, where filtration systems recycle [shower water, sweat, and urine](<http://mentalfloss.com/article/67854/how-do-astronauts-get-drinking-water-iss>).

"Our colleagues at the \[Tranquility module of the ISS\] had an incident on Friday," the source said. "Astronauts separated the water supply line and the liquid leaked. Over 10 liters of water leaked before the problem was fixed. The crew had to collect the water using towels."

## Hole Story

Though it sounds silly, the leak underscores a worrying decline in relations between Russia and the U.S. — not just down here on Earth, but [in space as well](<https://futurism.com/russia-america-space-partnership-end>). This past summer, when a small hole was discovered in the ISS, [Russian authorities suggested](<https://futurism.com/sabotage-mistake-someone-drilled-hole-iss>) that it could have been sabotage.

And that means that any new international friction in space, even when it's seemingly gross and minor, is cause for concern.

**READ MORE:** [Over 10 Liters of Water Leaked From Space Toilet at US Segment at ISS - Source](<https://sputniknews.com/science/201902041072108506-water-leakage-iss/>) \[*Sputnik News*\]

***More on the ISS: [Russia and America’s Long Space Partnership Could Soon Fall Apart](<https://futurism.com/russia-america-space-partnership-end>)***

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)