Sexism doesn’t only follow women on earth, but also in space. Valentina Tereshkova, a Soviet cosmonaut was to travel into space on June 16, 1963, but it took decades to accept and normalize this very fact. But, one thing that struck our minds is how astronauts, especially women go to the bathroom in space.
Recently, a Nashville, Tennessee-based author Mary Robinette Kowal published an essay “To Make It to the Moon, Women Have to Escape Earth’s Gender Bias” where she documents how due to gender biases in the earth slowed down women’s journey into space. Sharing their thoughts in response to this essay may people have claimed that, it is not sexism that prevented women, but the lack of technology for them to “pee in the space”.
But, Kowal doesn’t agree to this and to counter this myth, tweeted in a series of viral posts to show how astronauts use the bathroom in the space. So, how does it feel like, peeing and pooping outside the earth’s orbit?
In the series of tweets, she explains how in the beginning doctors were worried that the astronauts won’t be able to pee in the space or even swallow in the space without the help of gravity. Therefore, the first space mission, which was supposed to take only 15 minutes, no urinating arrangements were made. Unfortunately, the unscheduled mission didn’t go according to plan.
Let’s talk about peeing in space.
Several people, in response to my NY Times essay, have said that women couldn’t go into space because we lacked the technology for them to pee in space.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
When the Mercury program was proposed, doctors were worried that people would not be able to urinate or even swallow without the aid of gravity.
And yet, they still made plans to send a man into space.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Result? Alan Shepherd, the first man (read guy) to go into space was full of pee because no arrangements were made.
When Alan Shepherd became the first American man to go into space, it was scheduled to be a fifteen-minute mission.
Up.
Hello space!
Back down.
They made no plans for peeing.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
There was a delay in the launchpad and therefore, Shepherd had to go and pee very badly, but he was asked to pee in his suit instead.
Launchpad delays meant that Shepherd hit a point where he needed to go. Badly.
He asked Mission Control for permission to go in his suit. After consultation with flight surgeons & suit technicians, they gave him permission to do so.
So he wet himself & still went into space.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Later, they thought the problem could be solved by a condom-shaped apparatus, which they invented to catch urine, but even that didn’t work. Therefore, the astronauts were, most of the time, left with pee in their suits.
Later, they solved this problem by developing a sheath, that looked much like a condom.
It worked great in testing, but when the actual astronauts used it, the sheath kept blowing off and leaving them with pee in their suits.
Was this about extended time in the spacesuit?
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
But, turns out the size of the pee-condom was a big issue and the men were lying about the size as well. LOL!
The sheaths came in small, medium, and large. It turns out, the men were all saying that they needed a Large sheath.
They did not.
Subsequently, the astronauts called the sheaths were called “Extra-large,” “Immense,” and “Unbelievable.”
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
For poo, separate bags were there but still, they had to pee and poop in the space capsule because poo bag didn’t work either.
They had to tape a bag to their ass to poop.
That worked well for Gemini and Mercury. And by well, I mean there was still urine in the capsule and it stank of feces.
Apollo needed a different solution.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
So, to counter the pee-problem in space, a device was invented to suck astronaut’s pee out into space. HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Alas, they still had to poop into a bag, but for peeing, they could slip on a condom attached to a valve, turn the valve and have their urine sucked into the vacuum of space.
If you timed it right.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Thankfully it was less messy, but like other devices and methods invented prior to this, even this was flawed.
Open the valve a fraction too late, and urine escaped to float around the cabin.
Open it too early and the vacuum of space reached through the valve to grab your manhood.
Apparently, the venting of pee into space is very pretty. It catches the sunlight and sparkles.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
As a result, the immediate solution was to switch back to pee-condoms.
For the spacewalks, the Apollo astronauts were back to condoms that collected the pee in a bag in the suit.
Buzz Aldrin was the second man on the moon, but the first to pee there.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Even after so much effort, the pee-condoms solution was still flawed. If you can recall the moment when Fred Haise got sick in the movie Apollo 13? Well for those who didn’t know, apparently his genitals were pee-bathing and he couldn’t use the regular vent as it needed to be heated in order to keep the pee from freezing.
No wonder, this detail didn’t make it to the movie.
During Apollo13, everyone who has seen the movie knows that Fred Haise got sick. Do you know why, though?
After the accident, they couldn’t use the regular vent, because it needed to be heated to keep the pee from freezing.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
The alternate system was not error-free and because of zero gravity, it caused the droplets to float around the ship. Now, what did Mission Control do? They asked the astronaut to stop dumping pee. How sad is that?
The alternate system caused droplets to float around the ship. Mission Control told them to stop dumping pee.
It wasn’t meant to be a permanent ban, but the crew didn’t understand that. So they were stashing pee in every bag or container possible.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
As a result, the bags used to store their spacesuit was used to collect their pee as well!
The fastest option was to store it in the collection bags they wore in their suits. Haise kept his on for hours and hours, basically bathing in pee.
He got a UTI and then a kidney infection.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
It was only a decade later that NASA sent women into space. But, the pee-problem was not solved yet. There was no way pee-condom could have worked in this case, and therefore, they came with a different solution. Guess what? A diaper!
Finally, a decade later, NASA decides to send women into space. NOW they have a reason to come up with how to handle peeing in space if you don’t have a penis.
To launch and for a spacewalk, they developed the MAG
Maximum Absorbency Garment.
It’s a diaper.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
This is what you do when you don’t have a penis and not just women and men also agreed to shift to diapers and got rid of the ass-bag and replaced it with a zero-gravity toilet!
The men switched over to using those because it was more comfortable and less prone to leave pee floating around the cabin than the condom sheath.
They also developed a zero-G toilet so that astronauts no longer had to tape a bag to their ass.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Forget about the early years, even in 2019, peeing and pooping in space was a difficult process. To elaborate on it, poop has to be removed with hands that will be covered with special gloves. (It’s okay if you quit reading here, we will understand… HAHAHAHA)
Peeing or pooping in space is now a lengthy process, involving a fan, a targeting system, and a fair amount of prayer.
Fun pooping in space fact: Without gravity, the poop doesn’t break off as it exits your body. You have to reach back and help with special gloves.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Peeing is very straightforward and therefore, if the toilet doesn’t break down it is comparatively an easier process than pooping. But, apparently, the toilet does break down. Shit happens you know.
Peeing is a little more straightforward. It’s basically a funnel, a tube, a bag, and a fan for suction.
Sometimes though, the toilet breaks down. At that point, they return to using “relief bags” taped to their ass and “manual urine containment.”
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
If these facts and information aren’t making you nauseous, then consider these Pee and Poo Fun fact.
During a malfunction, it is also possible for a giant floating globe of pee to exit the toilet.
Fun fact: Due to chemicals, it is bright purple and acidic.
Fun fact: Poop regularly escapes, which is why you never eat a milk dud found floating in the ISS.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
CONCLUSION? Slow advancement of women in space is not because of the unavailability of technology for peeing and pooping in space. That wasn’t available either when men started.
All of which is to say that the reason women didn’t go into space had nothing to do with lacking the technology to pee.
We didn’t have the technology for men to pee in space when they started either.
And some days, the best solution is still a diaper or a bag taped to the ass
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Peeping and pooping in space is a nightmare for everyone, be it man or woman. Looks like we have established equality at least in space regardless of the genitalia. LOL!
Kowal was also flooded with questions which included “What about farting in space?” Basically, it seems that she has answers to all bodily functions of humans in space.
Also, just in case you don’t know, burping in space looks like a painful process as well.
Addendum with some FAQs:
What about Farting in space? – It does not propel you. Astronauts have tried.What about belching? – Gravity keeps food at the bottom of the stomach. Burps in space tend to be accompanied by solid matter
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
So, talking about women and not about periods? That’s just impossible.
By the way, looks like the Goddess for tampons must have been a female astronaut and we can’t thank her enough for that!
What about periods in space? – According to women who have been there, “It’s just like a period on Earth.”
It turns out menstrual blood moves via a wicking action. Gravity can speed that up, but is unnecessary.
Also, tampons exist.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Male NASA engineers don’t know how periods work? Here’s what they asked!
Fun fact: When Sally Ride was preparing to go into space, NASA engineers asked her if 100 tampons would be the right number for a week.
She said, “No. That would not be the right number.”
They cut it back to 50…
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Have you ever peed on a schedule? Astronauts do, so that they know when there is a nature’s call!
Fun fact: Gravity creates most of the sense of urgency for peeing, so in microgravity, astronauts can’t always tell when they need to go.
It’s such a complicated process that they pee on a schedule.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
While we have had enough of pee rituals, looks like Yuri Gagarin had issues as well. He got out of the truck and ended up peeing on the tire.
Fun fact: When Yuri Gargarin was on his way to the launch pad, he realized the suit-up had taken so long that he needed to pee. He got out of the truck and peed on the tire.
Every astronaut to launch from Baikonur since has done the same.
Women squat or carry a vial of pee.
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Even though all women know her shit, but you can read her book “The Fated Sky: A Lady Astronaut Novel” where she wrote an entire chapter about a zero-gravity toilet repair, complete with spinning globe of urine.
But, what about erections in the space?
FAQ: Erections in space? Officially, it’s never happened.
However, according to Mike Mullane in his book, Riding Rockets, he woke most mornings on the shuttle with his “wooden puppet friend”
“I had an erection so intense it was painful. I could have drilled through kryptonite.”
— Mary Robinette Kowal (@MaryRobinette) July 19, 2019
Women, now you know why it is so harder to be men! LMAO.