NASA’s Artemis II mission is already pretty historic as the agency’s first crewed journey around the moon in more than half a century. But tucked inside all the big-picture lunar ambition is a much more grounded milestone, with astronauts finally getting a toilet that does not sound like a hassle.
This may not be the most glamorous part of the mission, but it is still a meaningful one. Decades ago, the Apollo astronauts went to the moon using a waste system based on plastic bags and funnels, and NASA’s own later assessment described it as “objectionable” and “distasteful”.
But no longer.
Why this is actually a big deal
The old Apollo’s plumbing setup was messy, awkward, and prone to failure. Crew members had to manually use adhesive-rimmed plastic bags and tubes in microgravity, then mix in germicide by hand to stop bacteria and gas buildup. The system also had a bad reputation for leaks, including famously gross moments like floating waste during Apollo 10.
NASA later admitted that this whole arrangement earned poor marks for crew satisfaction. So the new upgrade on Atermis II is more than just a quality-of-life upgrade; it is NASA finally solving a problem that has been hanging around since the first moonshots.
A working toilet is a real milestone
NASA’s Artemis II uses the new Universal Waste Management System, or UWMS. It includes handles to help astronauts stay steady in microgravity, supports simultaneous urine and feces collection, and works for both male and female astronauts. Another big thing is a door for at least the illusion of privacy inside Orion’s cramped crew capsule.
The design has been in the works for more than a decade, with Collins Aerospace first contracted in 2015. A different version of the UWMS was tested on the ISS (International Space Station) in 2020, with final installation being complete in 2021. Artemis II will carry a modified lunar version inside Orion, where it will face its first real test on a crewed moon mission.
The toilet for the future in space
There is a reason NASA cares so much about this, since it believes waste management is considered mission-critical. So the system failing can put the whole mission at risk. Since Artemis II is supposed to help define the systems NASA will rely on for future lunar campaign missions and eventually Mars missions, this is a big moment for the advanced space-grade toilet.