Artemis II crew reflects on moon mission before splashdown
Upon their return home, the Artemis II crew shared reflections on their trip and their phone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Charmin wants to keep the Artemis II crew out of trouble with Number Two.
In an April 9 Instagram post, Charmin announced that the four crew members of Artemis II will be provided with a year’s supply of toilet paper upon their return to Earth.
“Dear Moon Explorer Crew… We’re sorry to hear that your mission had an unexpected hiccup in the bathroom department. But don’t worry, we’ll have a year’s worth of Charmin ready for your return trip to ensure a smooth landing the next time you launch. After all, every satellite deserves to Enjoy the Go,” the Instagram post reads.
The Artemis II crew, consisting of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, launched on the Orion spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1. The crew traveled further from Earth than any other human race.
The Orion capsule is scheduled to land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, on April 10 at approximately 8:07 p.m. ET.
Why is Charmin providing free toilet paper to the Artemis II crew?
Charmin’s offer comes after Artemis II’s crew experienced problems with the ship’s toilet system after its April 1 launch. NASA said in a blog post that the crew “reported flashing fault lights” related to the toilet system before performing engine maneuvers. NASA’s mission control team in Houston quickly returned the toilet to “normal operation.”
What is the annual supply of toilet paper?
If accepted, each Artemis II crew member will receive 14 Charmin Forever rolls and a stainless steel stand, Charmin Vice President Alex Perez told USA TODAY in an email. Launched last year, the 1700-sheet Forever roll is said to last up to a month and contains 32 times more sheets than a standard roll.
How does the Artemis II toilet work?
The Orion spacecraft toilet is known as the Universal Waste Management System. The toilets are equipped with cubicles for privacy, ergonomic toilet seats, and compact titanium vacuum toilets that use suction to draw waste into separate containers for urine and feces.
In a video from the Canadian Space Agency, Artemis II mission specialist Jeremy Hansen said the waste management system uses hoses to collect urine, which is pumped into space several times a day.
The feces is sucked into a bag at the bottom of the toilet. Once the bag is capped, it will be pushed into a canister and returned to Earth with the crew, Hansen said.
“As a crew member, we’re pretty lucky to have a toilet with a door on this little spacecraft. It’s the only place you can go during the mission, and you can actually feel alone for a moment,” Hansen said in the video.
The crew of Artemis II is the first spacecraft to have a toilet system onboard a spacecraft orbiting the moon. Modern space toilets were not available on the Apollo missions, so the crew used plastic bags to collect waste.
Greta Cross is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Story ideas? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com..
