--- title: "The Space Station Toilet Apparently Smells Horrible" description: "NASA engineers working on the Orion capsule meant to carry astronauts to the Moon have a smelly problem: how to design a space toilet that doesn't smell." date: "2020-09-24" modified: "2020-09-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-station-toilet-smells-horrible" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "iss" - "NASA" - "orion spacecraft" - "the digest" - "toilet" --- # The Space Station Toilet Apparently Smells Horrible ![NASA engineers working on the Orion capsule meant to carry astronauts to the Moon have a smelly problem: how to design a space toilet that doesn't smell.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Smelly Problem NASA engineers working on the Orion capsule meant to carry astronauts to the Moon as soon as 2023 have a smelly problem on their hands, [*Business Insider* reports](): how to design a space toilet with less of a stench. Orion capsule engineering lead Jason Hutt described the smell in an instantly iconic tweet. "If you want to recreate that used spacecraft smell, take a couple dirty diapers, some microwave food wrappers, a used airsickness bag, and a few sweaty towels, put them in an old school metal trash can and let it bake in the summer sun for 10 days," Hutt [wrote on Twitter]() last month. "Then open the \[lid\] and breathe deep." ## Waste Management Hutt is in charge of making sure the toilet, better known as the Universal Waste Management System, is fully functional. A brand new design is headed to the International Space Station next week, where it will be put through its paces. The toilet works by sucking both number one and number two through a funnel using motorized fans. In the case of the Orion spacecraft, number two would have to be stored until it makes its way back to Earth, while urine will be vented into space where it will instantly turn into yellow snow. While the toilet is extremely noisy thanks to the fans, astronauts will at least have a thin door for some privacy. ## Certified Sniffers But the real challenge is odor control. "You can't just open a window whenever something smells bad," Hutt told *BI*. The engineer is now testing deodorizers including powdered charcoal. NASA is also employing "certified sniffers" to do the testing, who Hutt described to *BI* as the "unsung heroes of the space program." **READ MORE:** [NASA is developing a new space toilet for moon-bound astronauts — but the agency's 'certified sniffers' say the system is far too stinky]() \[*Business Insider*\] **More on space toilets:** *[NASA Says It Needs a New Space Toilet for the Artemis Moon Missions]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()