A space toilet, or zero gravity toilet, is a toilet that can be used in a weightless environment. In the absence of weight, the collection and retention of liquid and solid waste is directed by use of air flow. Since the air used to direct the waste is returned to the cabin, it is filtered beforehand to control odor and cleanse bacteria. In older systems, waste water is vented into space, and any solids are compressed and stored for removal upon landing. More modern systems expose solid waste to vacuum pressures to kill bacteria, which prevents odor problems and kills pathogens.
Background
When humans travel into space, the absence of gravity causes fluids to distribute uniformly around their bodies. Their kidneys detect the fluid movement and a physiological reaction causes the humans to need to relieve themselves within two hours of departure from Earth. As a result, the space toilet has been the first device activated on shuttle flights, after astronauts unbuckle themselves.
Weightlessness, or an absence of 'weight', is an absence of stress and strain resulting from externally applied mechanical contact-forces, typically normal forces from floors, seats, beds, scales, and the like. Counterintuitively, a uniform gravitational field does not by itself cause stress or strain, and a body in free fall in such an environment experiences no g-force acceleration and feels weightless. This is also termed "zero-g" where the term is more correctly understood as meaning "zero g-force."
When bodies are acted upon by non-gravitational forces, as in a centrifuge, a rotating space station, or within a space ship with rockets firing, a sensation of weight is produced, as the contact forces from the moving structure act to overcome the body's inertia. In such cases, a sensation of weight, in the sense of a state of stress can occur, even if the gravitational field was zero. In such cases, g-forces are felt, and bodies are not weightless.
When the gravitational field is non-uniform, a body in free fall suffers tidal effects and is not stress-free. Near a black hole, such tidal effects can be very strong. In the case of the Earth, the effects are minor, especially on objects of relatively small dimension (such as the human body or a spacecraft) and the overall sensation of weightlessness in these cases is preserved. This condition is known as microgravity and it prevails in orbiting spacecraft.
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, later released in Japan as Sonic Riders: Shooting Star Story(ソニックライダーズ シューティングスターストーリー,Sonikku Raidāzu: Shūtingu Sutā Sutōrī), is a hoverboard racing video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It is the fifth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, following Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic R and its predecessor, Sonic Riders. A sequel titled Sonic Free Riders was released on November 4, 2010 exclusively for Kinect on Xbox 360.
Plot
The Story is split into two halves, the Heroes Story (Team Sonic), and Babylon Story (Babylon Rogues). Although the stories start separately, they overlap each other, telling the story as the main characters within that story see it. Following the format of Sonic Riders, Babylon Story also includes an epilogue that expands past the Heroes Story leading to the last course.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are alerted to robots that are attacking a famous city of the future. They set out to retrieve a legendary artifact that has the ability to control gravity. Along the way they discover surprises, including the return of the Babylon Rogues, a group of avian thieves who are also after the artifacts. This sets off a war to decide who gets the artifact, leading them to settle their dispute by having an Extreme Gear competition.
On Earth, gravity helps waste fall into the toilet, but in space, waste would just float around if not contained ...Astronauts sit on the toilet, and the system ensures that everything stays in place, even in zero gravity.
It requires a suction hose for urine (which has an adjustable plastic cup on the end to fit a female body) and a separate sit-down loo which astronauts strap themselves into to avoid floating off in zero gravity.
Unlike in Gravity, ... Meanwhile, Williams and Wilmore will adjust to zero-gravity life, carrying out experiments — like how to care for plants in space — and participating in chores like cleaning toilets.
With little spare room and zero gravity, even simple tasks like eating or going to the toilet can be extremely difficult ... But without the assistance of gravity, lying down or even resting your head on a pillow essentially becomes impossible.
Photo. ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST Team; ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar ... But lord knows we’re trying ... On Dec ... Photo ... Chandar ... All that time, all that money, all those hopes and dreams would go straight down NASA’s zero-gravity toilet ... ....
food sealed in plastic pouches to minimize crumbs and drops floating in zero gravity; pressurized spacesuits that make movement and object manipulation awkward; and a space toilet, answering the most-asked question of astronauts returning to Earth.
food sealed in plastic pouches to minimize crumbs and drops floating in zero gravity; pressurized spacesuits that make movement and object manipulation awkward; and a space toilet, answering the most-asked question of astronauts returning to Earth.
(A few months earlier the Soviets, intent as always on outdoing their rivals, had sent their second female cosmonaut to a space station, where she was greeted with flowers her colleagues had grown in ...
Immediately upon entering 'zero gravity', fluids in your legs and the lower part of your body move upwards towards your head ... After a few days almost everyone is used to zero gravity and feels great.
The spaceship bathroom has a sign with a 10-step guide to using a zero-gravity toilet ... This is a great-looking spaceship, especially the living quarters, which are constantly spinning to produce their own gravity.
the International Space Station has two bathrooms equipped with space toilets, which are specially designed to work in zero-gravity conditions. Basically, when you lift the lid of a space toilet, you ...
... various space travel amenities, including sleeping bags , an assortment of new NASA-recipe space food bars , and a revamped space toilet that’s designed for zero gravity and people of all genders.
Several months ago, I watched director Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 movie, “2001... There was a particularly funny scene in the movie that comes when one of the astronauts is reading and trying to understand the directions for using the “zero gravity” toilet.
Waco Tribune-Herald
25 Jan 2024
Waco Tribune-Herald
25 Jan 2024