• Question: Does all urine and faecal waste get thrown outside into orbit?

    Asked by Anon to Kevin, Katie, Jon, Jean-François, Floris, Delma, Claudie, Camilla, Beth, Adrian on 29 Dec 2015. This question was also asked by spacebarrier.
    • Photo: Floris Van Den Berg

      Floris Van Den Berg answered on 29 Dec 2015:

      Hi Anon,

      faecal waste is dried and stored, urine is discharged into orbit. In general all wasted is stored and eventually released towards earth, and burned when entering the atmosphere.

    • Photo: Adrianos Golemis

      Adrianos Golemis answered on 29 Dec 2015:

      I think part of the liquid waste is recycled too. This is quite important to minimize the amount of water that needs to be shipped (at a heavy cost) to the ISS. Waste passes through a huge amount of special filters and eventually only clear water is kept, as safe to drink as any water you would get from the tap in the city.

    • Photo: Claudie Haignere

      Claudie Haignere answered on 25 Jan 2016:

      Urine and other moisture in the Space Station is collected and recycled. Solid waste from the toilets is collected regularly and disposed of in the Progress vehicles that leave the Station after delivering their supplies, these burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere.

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