• Question: are human waste and food waste (including wrappers,ect) stored or used?

    Asked by spacegirl to Anne, Beth, COLFlight, Jon, Tom on 13 Oct 2015. This question was also asked by Williamson.
    • Photo: Columbus Flight Directors

      Columbus Flight Directors answered on 13 Oct 2015:

      Simon: Good question Spacegirl! On ISS at least the answer is both!

      Although we are recovering water from human waste and condensate, still most waste generated by astronauts on ISS is trashed. It is not possible to dispose of the trash immediately so the crew have to store it until it can be loaded into a space vehicle that has been designated for trash ie Progress, HTV, ATV or Cygnus. Since months may pass between the arrival and departure of these vehicles, ISS can sometimes get pretty full of rubbish (especially if one of these vehicles doesnt make it to ISS – Like Orbital#3 (Cygnus) which exploded on launch about a year ago.

      Just imagine what it would be like in your house if you werent allowed to throw anything away for 3months!

    • Photo: Beth Healey

      Beth Healey answered on 14 Oct 2015:

      Hey Spacegirl!

      There are also things in place to help reduce the waste on the ISS, for example the water recycling machine. This means that you can recycle the water there. Astronauts recycle their own sweat and urine!!

      We have a similar machine out here in Antarctica which recycles all of our water as like on the ISS our supplies and waste removal is limited. Like on the ISS we have to store all of our rubbish until the summer when it is taken away on a big overland traverse back to the coast (1,300km!!) in the summer!!!

      Here is some more information about the traverse:
      http://blogs.esa.int/concordia/2013/12/03/raid-trail-left-the-station/

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