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Nov 21, 2010

Why Do Astronauts Wear Space Diapers?

NASA says this is not a space diaper, but it is. They call it the Maximum Absorbency Garment. I call it the Space Pooper. But why do astronauts use them?

Quite simply, when astronauts are sitting in the Space Shuttle, strapped to their seats and ready to go, they may experience very long delays. Sometimes even hours. And when that happens, they just can't get off their seats to go to the toilet. They just have to do it, as Alan Shepard discovered while waiting inside his Mercury capsule on May 5, 1961, waiting for theFreedom 7 mission launch. He was the first American to reach Space and the first astronaut to pee inside his suit.


33 comments:

  1. eeewww... Good think I never felt attracted to take this career, lol.

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  2. sounds pretty nasty! They must not have good hygiene in space!

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  3. You wouldn't want it spraying around in zero g.

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  4. I'm sure that diaper is ultra absorbent and can take care off pee but what about space poo? That's got to be the worst. Having to sit in a diaper full of your own space poo

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  5. Ahh I couldn't do it, would gross me out

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  6. In the microgravity environment of space, it is apparently possible to move oneself around by farting. For this and other reasons, the toilet on space station Mir had restraining devices. "The restraining devices also serve to keep the user from being thrust away from the toilet seat when what could tactfully be described as digestive gas thrusters are fired"

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  7. One pissed off MF by the time he got there. Just saying.

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  8. I wonder if the piss got in his eyes when it was just floating around.

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  9. Sounds nasty but they have to do it, safety reasons :\ they can't keep getting up to pee

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  10. I'm guessing the space diapers of 2010 are quite different than those of 1961..

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  11. bahaha yea i read an article a while back about this,

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  12. Man, I don't think I can stomach sitting in my own excrements.

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  13. That's really REALLY gross, lol

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  14. They peed already in it during training. That's officially recorded.

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  15. haha. I remember reading about stuff like this. And to think I used to want to go to space when I was little.

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  16. I was away for the weekend, happy to read you again ;)!

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  17. Astronaut ... worse job than it seems

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  18. Astronaut ... worse job than it seems

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  19. I wouldn't mind shitting myself just to see earth from space :D

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  20. wow this just takes a few cool points off but i guess it's necessary

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  21. I agree with KillerKun, being able to go out into space just MIGHT be worth taking a dump in your pants. Hey, at least you get a nifty diaper!

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  22. Mmmmmmmmm....space feces. Micro G piss. Time for breakfast.

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