US Artemis II’s moon trip faces challenging toilet mission again over flushing

NASA's historic Artemis II mission, carrying four astronauts on humanity's first crewed moon mission in over half a century, is grappling with an unexpectedly earthly problem: a malfunctioning toilet. More than halfway to the moon, the Orion capsule's "lunar loo" has been experiencing hit-and-miss performance since Wednesday's launch, with engineers suspecting ice may be blocking the urine flushing line. This has led to incomplete waste disposal and reported odors from the bathroom compartment, which is built into the capsule's floor with a privacy curtain.

Mission Control has instructed astronauts Victor Glover and his three crewmates to use backup urine collection bags while engineers work on a solution. The toilet remains operational for solid waste, but the urine system issue presents both comfort and hygiene challenges during the critical mission. Despite these plumbing problems, the crew continues preparations for Monday's lunar flyby, where they'll photograph the moon's far side—marking a significant milestone in NASA's return to lunar exploration after the Apollo program ended in 1972.