14 DAY TRIAL // Whether a space explorer or stuck in an office job, there is one thing we Homo sapiens sapiens all have in common: when you gotta go, you most definitely gotta go.
Here on Earth, going to the loo is a pretty straightforward business. You just pick the toilet closest to you, do your business and then its back to your usual routine.
Aboard the International Space Station, however, going to the bathroom is quite an adventure. One that, unfortunately, astronauts can't simply choose not to embark on.
As part of their training before they are launched to the orbital complex, astronauts must first learn how to do their business in tricky space conditions.
Here on Earth, toilets have openings 30 to 40 centimeters (12 to 16 inches) across. In space, astronauts must work with toilet openings just 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter.
To train space explorers to use these toilets, NASA went ahead and installed cameras in them, making it possible for astronauts to watch what they're doing.
Once positioned atop a toilet, astronauts must secure themselves with restraints to make sure that they don't just float away while getting the job done.
The toilets aboard the International Space Station are designed to suck waste away and then put it in storage in special containers until it can be safely disposed of.
As tricky to use as they are, toilets designed to function in space don't come cheap. Au contraire, the latest versions come with a price tag of about $19 million (almost €17 million).
