--- title: "This is how astronauts pee in space" description: "During the space race of the Cold War, NASA scientists were so excited to get a man into space, they failed to answer \"how do astronauts pee?\"" date: "2022-09-03" modified: "2023-08-30" authors: - name: "Shannon Corbeil" job_title: "Contributor, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/scorbeil/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/peeing-in-space/" categories: - "Cold War" - "History" - "Military News" - "Technology" - "War History" --- # This is how astronauts pee in space ![how to astronauts pee]() *"Let's talk about peeing in space." — Mary Robinette Kowal, Hugo-Award Winning Author* During the space race of the [Cold War](), NASA scientists were so excited to get a man into space, they failed to come up with elegant means for him to relieve himself. As a result, the first American in space, Alan Shepard, was forced to pee in his spacesuit. https://www.twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277172515741696 At that point in time, NASA wasn't even considering female astronauts. In fact, women weren't admitted into the [astronaut program]() until the late 1970s — and it wasn't until 1983 that Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. "By this point," observed Robinette Kowal, "the space program was built around male bodies." This exclusion wouldn't be comical except for the fact that male astronauts literally lied about their penis sizes, causing failures in early pee-sheath engineering. https://www.twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277175799898112 That's right, our early heroes of space exploration refused to use "small" condoms and would instead pee all over themselves. I don't blame men for this. I honestly blame toxic masculinity, penis shaming, and lazy men who refuse to learn how to give sexual pleasure to their female partners — *but I digress.* https://www.twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277177322356737 The urine-condom technology developed enough to allow for a vacuum to suction the pee out into space, which apparently not only takes some timing skillz but looks pretty cool. The urine will boil violently, then the vapor passes immediately into the solid state and becomes [a cloud of very fine crystals of frozen urine]() that might even catch the light of the sun... https://www.twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277183244701696 NASA continued to try to contain men's pee with condoms and bags. After the accident aboard Apollo 13, the astronauts couldn't use the regular urine vent but the alternate system caused droplets to float around the ship. Mission Control told the crew to stop dumping pee. According to Robinette Kowal, "it wasn't meant to be a permanent ban, but the crew didn't understand that. So they were stashing pee in every bag or container possible." The fastest option was to store it in the collection bags they wore in their suits. Poor Fred Haise kept his suit on for hours and got a urinary tract infection and a kidney infection. https://www.twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277190450589696 Male astronauts switched over to the Maximum Absorbency Garment as well because it was more comfortable and less prone to resulting in pee floating around the cabin. This is a great example of how diversity encourages innovation, folks. https://www.twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277194196082688 Robinette Kowal's Twitter thread doesn't stop there. She goes on to cover modern malfunctions, farting in space, the effect of gravity on urination urges, official and unofficial erections in space, and menstrual periods. https://www.twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152296249082765313 (Apparently NASA engineers tied Sally Ride's tampons together like a bandolier? Guys, if you have period questions, just ask women.) Today, the International Space System efficiently collects urine and recycles 80-85% of it to astronaut drinking water. Peggy Whitson, an astronaut who hit her "radiation limit" after logging 665 days in space (an American record), suggests that engineers will find a way to create a closed-loop system and recycle all of their water. So see some International Space Station innovation in action, check out this video of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti demonstrating their toilet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-65mBQ7s\_Q International Space Station toilet tour ## Author Shannon Corbeil has worked for We Are The Mighty as a digital video producer, writer, and host, as well as a staff writer covering military history, trivia, and valor. Shannon is a fierce veteran advocate, covering the achievements of members of the military community and volunteering in multiple veteran non-profit organizations, including Pin-Ups for Vets and Warriors for Peace Theatre. Her undergraduate degree is in Humanities and Philosophy and her Masters is in Strategic Intelligence. A screenwriter and actor recently seen on SEAL TEAM and THE ROOKIE, Shannon writes about exciting projects in the entertainment industry. She is an alum of the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project, a Finalist in the Disney TV Writing Fellowship, an inaugural fellow for the STARZ/VME #TakeTheLead Program, and has performed at the Geffen Playhouse and Kennedy Center as a writer, dancer, singer, and actor. As a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer, Shannon supported the 25th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea, and conducted Cyber Threat Analysis at the National Security Agency. Her work has been seen in Business Insider, Task & Purpose, Military.com, and various other publications. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()