Artemis goes to the Moon, but its $23M toilet can’t handle take-off
NASA is gearing up to send humans around the Moon with Artemis II, but before that giant leap, it’s dealing with a very down-to-earth problem, a toilet worth $23 million that decided not to cooperate.
Yes, the mission’s high-tech, 3D-printed titanium toilet, officially called the Upper Waste Management System, malfunctioned shortly after take-off.
The culprit was a urine hose that stopped working properly, turning one of the most advanced bathroom systems ever built into a rather pricey inconvenience. Watch the video below:
At $23 million, roughly ₹190 crore, this is no ordinary toilet. It is the second most expensive commode ever created.
The only one beating it is from the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which cost $30 million in 1992, nearly $70 million when adjusted for today’s value. Clearly, when it comes to space toilets, the sky is not the limit, and budgets aren’t either.
NASA spent six years developing two of these systems, aiming to improve hygiene and astronaut comfort.
Older missions relied on far less glamorous methods, including plastic bags. The new system uses suction technology to ensure waste goes where it should, something that is not guaranteed in zero gravity.
Because in space, even the simplest human functions require complex engineering.
To be fair, astronauts quickly managed the issue on board, adding “fixing a multi-million-dollar toilet in space” to their already impressive list of skills.
Still, it is an awkward hiccup for a mission that represents the cutting edge of human exploration.
After all, when you spend millions on a toilet, people expect it to work flawlessly, not develop stage fright at launch.
Interestingly, Artemis II’s toilet is not alone. There are currently about 10 advanced toilets in space, spread across the International Space Station, China’s Tiangong station, and spacecraft like Soyuz, Crew Dragon, and Shenzhou. Space may be vast, but the bathroom club is still quite exclusive.
As Artemis II prepares to push human spaceflight further than it has gone in decades, this incident is a gentle reminder that while humanity can master rockets and deep space travel, perfecting a toilet, even now, remains a surprisingly tricky mission.