USA Space Toilet compared to Soviet Union Space Toilet - Bathroom Review
Courtesy Seattle Air & Space Museum - From the Plaques:
"Shuttle Toilet
The Shuttle's toilet, called the Waste Collection System (WCS), was specially designed to function in micro gravity. The WCS used airflow to pull the waste from an astronaut's body-solid waste was stored in a special chamber for return to Earth, while liquids were periodically dumped overboard. A seatbelt and foot restraints helped keep the astronauts in place and each astronaut was assigned a special funnel to help direct liquid waste into the commode. The WCS was even equipped with a rear-view mirror so astronauts could make sure everything got where it needed to go.
Soyuz ASU Toilet - A Different Approach to a "Necessary" Problem
The Russian space agency, Roscosmos took a very different approach from NASA when designing a toilet for human spaceflight. Like the toilet aboard the Space Shuttle, the Soyuz toilet, called the Sanitary Sewage Disposal Installation or ASU, uses air flow to pull waste away from an astronaut, or cosmonaut's body. However, because the Soyuz has only 13% as much living space as the Shuttle, the toilet is necessarily much more compact than its American counterpart.
The Soyuz toilet can dispose of both solid and liquid waste; the collection setting is determined by flipping a lever. Liquid waste is collected via a funnel, which pulls urine into a collection tank aboard the Soyuz's orbital module. Disposing of solid waste is more complicated. First, the person using the toilet puts a collection filter in the solid waste receiving chamber. A powerful ventilator pulls air through the filter to gather the waste. When finished, the user removes the filter, which has a quick-closing rubber shutter to seal it off. This is then placed in two more bags for storage. All waste collected on-board the Soyuz burns up with the discarded orbital module upon reentry."
Shuttle Toillet - Public Restroom Review
Facility | Location | Cleanliness | Design | Function | Flush Rating | ||
Space Shuttle | Orbit | Very Good | Very Good | Complicated |
Soyez Capsule - Public Restroom Review
Facility | Location | Cleanliness | Design | Function | Flush Rating | ||
Soyez | Orbit | Very Good | Very Good | More Complicated |