Artemis II mission Day 2: Toilet troubles and critical engine firing

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The Artemis II crew completed one of its most anticipated tasks, the trans-lunar injection burn, propelling the Orion spacecraft on a trajectory towards the moon Thursday evening.

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The mission started with a slight hitch as the space capsule’s toilet malfunctioned soon after reaching orbit Wednesday evening.

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On space plumber duty was astronaut Christina Koch, who worked overnight with the guidance of NASA mission control to get the lunar loo to work.

Mission specialist Koch is among the four-member crew on the historic 10-day flyby around the moon. The mission is led by Commander Reid Wiseman, with Victor Glover as pilot and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen as mission specialist.

During the short time the toilet was out of commission, the four astronauts had to resort to using a bag and funnel system for urinating.

The “Universal Waste Management System” is the first toilet for a space shuttle and reportedly cost NASA more than $23 million.

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The compact toilet uses air suction instead of water and gravity to remove waste, similar to earlier space toilets. It’s also designed to better accommodate female astronauts.

Adjusted sleep schedule

The four-member crew had to adjust their sleep schedules during the first 24 hours of the trip, sleeping in two four-hour periods while the capsule orbited Earth.

In an update Thursday, NASA said the four astronauts started their second day on the Orion spacecraft, waking up to the sounds of John Legend’s Green Light (feat. Andre 3000) and Sleepyhead by Young and Sick.

An update from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X said: “Artemis II astronauts are doing great. The Orion spacecraft is performing well in an impressive elliptical orbit, and the @NASA_Johnson Mission Control team is taking good care of the crew. Meanwhile, back at @NASAKennedy, the teams are out at the pad getting ready for what comes next. We are going to get into a rhythm of launching Moon rockets around here.”

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Other work aboard the spacecraft

Having woken up from their second nap Thursday afternoon, the crew performed some critical tests – one of which was checking the spacecraft’s emergency communications system

The trip to the moon is expected to take four days, with the crew reaching their destination on April 6.

Unlike the Apollo missions, there won’t be a stopover. They’re expected to travel around the far side of the moon and then head back.

The mission is expected to end on April 10 with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

30-minute workouts

While many important tasks are scheduled, the crew must squeeze in 30 minutes of exercise every day to maintain muscle and bone mass in microgravity.

According to the BBC, Wiseman and Glover were the first to work out, testing out Orion’s “flywheel exercise device,” which is about the size of a carry-on suitcase.

In a Canadian Space Agency video posted to YouTube three months ago, Hansen said it can function as a rowing machine, and can be used for weightlifting.

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The temperature inside Orion is cold

Mission control is working to adjust the temperature of the capsule after astronaut Koch told the control centre that it was “very cold in the cabin,” the BBC reported.

According to The Associated Press, the capsule’s temperature is 18C.

— with files from The Associated Press

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