A funny story about how SpaceX dealt with clandestine toilet issues on the recent Micturation 4 flight. This kind of thing is SpaceX's kryptonite—if you look at what breaks on ISS, it's a slog of unglamorous maintenance issues with no cool engineering fixhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/26/science/spacex-toilet-nasa.html …
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The Mars Toilet has to work without issues in free fall for six months to get to the planet, and then is required by international treaty to work at at least a Biosafety Level 4 containment level (!) while on the Martian surface, which Elon Musk really doesn't like to talk about.
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Keeping their off-grid airless mobile home working is the full-time mission of the ISS crew when they're not exercising to slow bone loss. Making this primate zoo not require constant repair and resupply is the real impediment to Mars exploration, not "we need a bigger rocket".pic.twitter.com/n8tlmmZjBC
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People think a Mars mission would be Apollo on steroids, but the reality would be ISS... in spaaace! If you love years-long research on osteoporosis and mold control then the next two decades of manned space flight working up to a Mars flyby are going to be a treat for you.
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Replying to @Pinboard
mold control and osteoporosis treatment and prevention does sound like extremely useful research, though!
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It is! And thousands of times more cost-efficient if performed on Earth.
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