--- title: "SpaceX Tourists Struggled With Space Toilet" description: "SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission was mostly smooth sailing for the four civilians. But there was an issue with the spacecraft's Waste Management System." date: "2021-09-20" modified: "2021-09-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-tourists-struggled-with-space-toilet" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "space tourism" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Tourists Struggled With Space Toilet ![SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission was mostly smooth sailing for the four civilians. But there was an issue with the spacecraft's Waste Management System.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Toilet Troubles Four space tourists circled the Earth for three full days as part of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission last week. It was mostly [smooth sailing]() for the four civilians, who ate cold pizza and even [watched "Spaceballs]()" during the trip. But it sounds like the mission did leave some room for improvement — there were issues with the toilet, [*Space.com* reports](). "It was very clean mission from start to finish," SpaceX human spaceflight programs lead Benji Reed said during a press conference following the successful landing on Saturday. "We had a couple of issues that we worked, we did work something on the Waste Management System, but that was worked \[out\] fine and, you know, the crew was happy and healthy." ## Sucking Up Waste The toilet — located underneath the massive glass cupola no less — is [radically different]() from the ones you find on Earth. In the simplest terms, they are two vacuum tubes for sucking up pee and poop that rely on suction fans to remove waste. We don't know exactly what the issue was yet with the Waste Management System, but it involved the suction fan, according to Reed. It's also unclear whether the malfunction had anything to do with the [surprising decision]() not to release photos or videos inside the spaceship during the journey. Inspiration4 was a little different than [preceding Crew Dragon flights](). The crew spent three whole days in the tiny capsule instead of less than 24 hours, the maximum length of a trip to the International Space Station. Unfortunately, the crew wasn't actually able to catch glimpses of the Earth [while doing their business]() as the hatch had to be closed during toilet use, according to *Space.com*. The space tourists have yet to speak out about their toilet experience — but fortunately, it sounds like the issue was quickly resolved. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX's private Inspiration4 astronauts had some toilet trouble in space]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on the launch:** *[SpaceX Tourist Watches Movie While Careening Down to Earth]()* ## 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]()