"6_2_5_6.TXT" (2701 bytes) was created on 03-22-88

                        SANITATION IN ORBIT
     Sanitation is more important within the confines of a spaceship or space
station than on Earth.  Studies have shown that the population of some microbes
can increase extraordinarily in microgravity and confined spaces.  This means
many infectious illnesses could easily spread to everyone aboard.
     The eating equipment, dining area, toilet, and sleeping facilities in an
orbiter are regularly cleaned, to prevent the growth of microorganisms.  Since
there is no washing machine aboard, trousers (changed weekly), socks, shirts,
and underwear (changed every two days) are sealed in air tight plastic bags
after being worn.  Garbage and trash are also sealed in plastic bags.
     Shuttle travelers don't have to do many dishes.  Food containers go into
the plastic bags, and eating utensils and trays are cleaned with wet wipes.
     A favorite early question of people interested in space was how the
astronauts took care of digestive elimination.  The orbiter travelers use a
toilet that operates very much like one on Earth.  A steady flow of air moves
through the unit when it is in use, carrying wastes to a special container or
into plastic bags.  The container can be opened to vacuum, which exhausts the
water and dries the solids, and the plastic bags, when used, can be sealed.
     Some of the wastes may be returned to Earth for postflight laboratory
analysis.  In the past, such analyses have helped doctors understand how the
body functions in microgravity, including data on which minerals the body loses
in unusual amounts.
     Unlike Skylab, which had an enclosed shower, Shuttle travelers can only
take sponge baths in space.  Water droplets float about in weightlessness,
creating a potential hazard for electrical equipment. Water is obtained from a
handgun, where the temperature can be set at any comfortable level from 18 to
35 degrees C (65 to 95 degrees F). Dirty water from the sponge is squeezed into
an airflow system which conveys it to the orbiter's waste collection tank.
     Whiskers cut off in shaving could also become a nuisance if they floated
about, with a potential to damage equipment.  Male astronauts can avoid this
problem by using conventional shaving cream and a safety razor, then cleaning
off the face with a disposable towel.
     The sleeping and sanitary arrangements for the Space Station are still in
the design stage.  Engineers are drawing on the experience gained in earlier
manned space flight programs to plan systems that will be more like those on
Earth.  Eventually, a visitor to the Space Station should be able to eat a meal
or use the sanitary facilities without special instructions.