NASA Contractor Needs Urine 291
Apparently, NASA sent a memo to its employees at the Johnson Space Center asking for their urine so they, NASA, could use it to test the Orion space capsule. How much urine? 30 liters per day, including weekends. Disposal of urine for up to six months would be required if Orion is to work as planned.
Alert reader nettamere adds a link to story at Discovery.com, excerpting: "Donations will be treated with a chemical that can hold solid particulates in the liquid so they don't clog up the tubing in microgravity, said Leo Makowski, company spokesman for Hamilton Sundstrand, a contractor designing the new spaceship's toilet. ... "It's difficult to come up with a faux urine, explained NASA's Jim Lewis, the systems manager overseeing development of Orion's potty. 'That's why we depend on collections.'"
kegger at Johnson! (Score:5, Insightful)
all they need is to hold an on-going kegger. I'm sure they will have no problems in this area.
hmmm (Score:2, Insightful)
Opportunity squandered. (Score:5, Insightful)
Perfect reason to write a project proposal with a couple of million bucks in budget. All down the drain now with this kind of simple solution. Contractors are not going to be happy.
Re:But really... (Score:5, Insightful)
NASA is beginning a secret drug testing program.
Off topic? No self respecting, tinfoil hat wearing, Slashdot reader mods that offtopic. Honestly, it would make a lame, but plausible cover for a drug testing program, and knowing our government, it's likely true.
Re:In other news, (Score:5, Insightful)
I find beer works better :)
Free beer for all employees!!!
Re:hmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
Because it's not just about the toilet, but what happens to the waste after that. They need to extract and reuse the water...
So... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:But really... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:hmmm (Score:3, Insightful)
In addition to what other commenters have pointed out, there's also the matter of mass budgets. An over-engineered urine disposal system would add unnecessary mass and volume to the spacecraft, a system where ounces matter.
Re:hmmm (Score:4, Insightful)
Because it's not just about the toilet, but what happens to the waste after that. They need to extract and reuse the water...
Besides which - if you're developing a system responsible for the handling, recycling, or disposal of human urine, the best thing to test it with is human urine. They're not going to be using this thing to dispose of canola oil, that's not what it's for.
Re:Have they contacted the Houston zoo? (Score:2, Insightful)