How Space Affects *Those* Embarrassing Bodily Functions

Everyone burps, farts and goes to the toilet. But for astronauts in microgravity, these normal bodily functions get turned upside down (sometimes literally!). Over the past 60 years of human space exploration, we’ve developed some bizarre technologies and workarounds to help navigate fart explosions, liquid burps and stealth pee.

00:00 – Bodily functions in space
00:48 – Explosive farts
02:15 – Fart propulsion
03:11 – Space burps
04:17 – Accident during NASA’s first human spaceflight
05:09 – Why astronauts pee themselves
06:04 – High-tech nappies and Dune-inspired stillsuits

#spacetravel #astronaut #sciencefacts #nasa

References:
Baran et al., 2022, ‘The Place of Urology in Aerospace Medicine; A New Horizon’
Calloway & Murphy, 1969, ‘Intestinal hydrogen and methane of men fed space diet’
Etlin et al., 2024, ‘Enhanced astronaut hygiene and mission efficiency: a novel approach to in-suit waste management and water recovery in spacewalks’
Golanchavit et al., 2004, ‘Inhibitory actions of a high fibre diet on intestinal gas transit in healthy volunteers’
Holland, 2023, ‘Grossology’
NASA, 1997, ‘Apollo 16 Lunar Surface Journal’
Levitt & Bond, 1970, ‘Volume, Composition, and Source of Intestinal Gas’
Mandelbaum & Paoletta, 2017, ‘We Chatted With an Astronaut About Showering, Farting, and Boning in Space’
NASA, 2024, ‘Eco-Friendly Bio-Breaks’
Pomeroy, 2015, ‘Can You Propel Yourself in Space by Farting?’
Starr, 2018, ‘Here's The Really Gross Reason Why You Don't Want to Burp in Space’
Tomlin et al., 1991, ‘Investigation of normal flatus production in healthy volunteers’
Waldman, 2016, ‘What’s it Like in Space?’

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