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  • As a kid you learn all about the cool and awesome parts of space exploration.

  • About moon walks and docking with the soviets and the heroing tale of Apollo 13

  • but for some reason you don't hear nearly as much about going to the bathroom in space.

  • -Actually Henry I can tell you about it

  • This right here is the Apollo 16 command module.

  • and I'm going to tell you about how they pooped in space.

  • I am at the US space and rocket center, and this is

  • a fecal collection assembly.

  • Its basically a plastic bag that astronauts would tape to their butt.

  • -Alright so, number 2 in a cramped sealed, command module with

  • "sounds" like fun...

  • Well what about number 1?

  • Well. The urine transfer system

  • was basically a rubbery condom attached to a metal tube which you could either

  • connect to a bag, or through a

  • differential pressure valve so you

  • could pee directly into space.

  • So this, is what hooks you up to space.

  • Todo lo que te protege es estalvula

  • This/

  • You/ Valve / Outer Space

  • Just think about that for a second.

  • -I think I might pass...

  • which is actually what that yellow bag is for

  • so you can pee first and dump it into space later

  • -That port is where the urine came out

  • and if you think about it, anything your throwing off your spacecraft

  • is gonna change the trajectory of your spacecraft

  • -In the case of a few hundred milliliters of urine and a

  • 45,000Kg space craft, you might only

  • change the velocity of your craft by a few hundredths

  • of a km/h, on a 3 day trip to the moon

  • thats enough to where you have to let mission control know when you stop

  • to use the facilutys and once your on the moon

  • collecting moon rocks, well.. the lunar module's ascent stage only

  • has enough fuel to carry a few hundred pounds of extra weight.

  • -So here's my question. So if I had the option to take my poop,

  • put it in this bag.

  • Would I rather bring this back in the acsent stage, or a moon rock.

  • -The choice is clear! At least, it was to the apollo astronauts.

  • In jedessine bags like this one the astronauts left a lot of stuff on the moon.

  • drills, baterries, food containers and towels

  • and cameras

  • moon boots and, there it is.

  • Poop. There are no who ways about it when

  • the astronauts left their poop,

  • on the moon.

  • By the way, NASA has the space toilet figured out at this time.

  • So lets move from this bathroom humour.

  • -Actually Henry, are you OK with me hangin' out with some of your viewers in the bathroom a little longer

  • OK, cool, so if you would, come over to my channel: "smarter everyday"

  • I'm gonna explain an experiment that is still on the moon.

  • That I only think

  • about when I go to the bathroom

  • It still works, too. So, any of you guys wanna come? Come on, click here.

  • This was filmed on the actual

  • moon right now. -Yeah it rained earlier today

  • on the moon.

  • - So we are breaking the seal on a 60 year-old urine transfer bag.

  • We keep it here at the museum at the US space and rocket center.

  • No way...

  • This is like the most intimate piece

  • its made by whirlpool.

  • [laughs]

As a kid you learn all about the cool and awesome parts of space exploration.

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