Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore ‘dodging floating poo, drinking recycled urine’ while stuck in space
NASA astronauts Williams and Wilmore face survival challenges in space, including recycling urine for water and managing hygiene, claims Meganne Christian.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are enduring a harrowing ordeal aboard their spacecraft. Stranded in the extreme environment of space, the duo is facing a daily battle for survival. British astronaut Meganne Christian has highlighted the potential hardships they might encounter if their stay is extended, including the need to recycle urine for drinking water and avoiding floating faecal matter.
Meanwhile, NASA is exploring options to bring their astronauts back, with speculation that it could take time and that they may remain in space until late February 2025.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s daily struggle in space
Life aboard the spacecraft for astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore is far from comfortable, according to fellow astronaut Meganne Christians. The European Space Agency member revealed to The Sun that the duo will face harsh realities in space, including challenges with hygiene, diet, and radiation exposure. With no showers and a reliance on recycled urine for drinking water, their mission will push the limits of human endurance.
“Suni and Butch were prepared for a long-duration mission should it happen. Space is hard, that is the line that we always take,” Meganne said.
The astronaut, who herself stayed in a remote research station in Antarctica from 2018 to 2019, explained, “You have to reuse and recycle as much as possible. They say ‘yesterday's coffee is today’s coffee,” she said. “It sounds disgusting, but by the time it gets to you, it’s just pure water again,’ Meganne explained."
Stranded astronauts dodging floating debris
According to the expert, the hygiene of the two stranded astronauts could take a toll. With no showers available, they must use wet towels with a bit of soap for cleaning. Bodily fluids are managed by a special suction toilet designed to prevent waste from floating around. Tim Peake, the first British astronaut to board the ISS, described the system: “We urinate into a hose with a conical-shaped receptacle and a side switch. For solid waste, there is a small loo seat attached to a solid waste container, which includes a rubberized bag with an elastic opening.”
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Tim mentioned that the team got a heads-up about a random poop floating around and pointed out that in zero gravity, you start seeing more skin flakes from feet. The tight spaces and being always under artificial lights can really mess with the crew's health and mood. But, despite all this, astronauts still have to keep the spaceship running and do their science experiments.
Astronauts face radiation and muscle loss in space
Another issue is radiation exposure, which remains high despite the ISS’s protective shields as per Meganne. Without gravity to work against, astronauts' muscles, including their hearts, aren't being used as intensely as they would be on Earth, the astronaut explained the situation. "It really is accelerated ageing, in a way. The fact that you're not working against gravity means
that your muscles are not working as hard as they usually would, and of course, your heart is also a muscle.”
"You also lose bone density during that time and you also have an increased risk of kidney stones, diabetes and there also tend to be problems with your eyes,” they added. Meganne noted that thankfully, most of these issues are resolved once astronauts return to Earth and begin recovering. Additionally, there is a gym on the ISS where astronauts are required to exercise for about 90 minutes daily.