You won't believe how astronauts go to the toilet in space! It’s way more complicated than you’d think. To start, imagine a toilet with a tiny four-inch hole. Yep, that's what astronauts on the ISS use. For number one, they use a system called Mr. Thirsty, which is basically a vacuum tube that sucks away the urine. The best part? It gets purified and turned into drinking water. So today’s coffee is literally tomorrow’s coffee! Number two is even crazier. Astronauts use a toilet called The Target, complete with thigh straps and a vacuum to make sure nothing floats away in microgravity. They even have a camera to help them aim! Solid waste gets sucked into garbage bags, which are then sealed in airtight containers. These containers are eventually sent back to Earth and burn up in the atmosphere—so some shooting stars are actually astronaut poop! And if you're thinking about toilet paper, wipes, and gloves? All of that gets sealed and sent back to Earth, too. It gets crazier, because nothing prepared me for what astronauts had to do in the early days. Alan Shepard, the first American in space, had to pee in his spacesuit because there was no system in place. So, next time you look up at the night sky, remember this: that might not be a shooting start you are staring at #astronaut #space #nasa

astronauteuropean space agencyhow astronauts peehow astronauts use the bathroomhow astronauts poop in spacehow astronauts use space toiletshow astronauts live in space