2021 Was the Weirdest Year in Space Ever – Gizmodo

The Inspiration4 crew in space.Image: Inspiration4

In September, astronauts participating in the first all-private mission to space, the Inspiration4 mission, had to keep their cool after an alarm went off, indicating a significant but unknown problem. The alarm was eventually traced to mechanical problems having to do with Crew Dragons waste management system, specifically its fans, which pull human waste away from the body. Mercifully, the Inspiration4 crew, with help from SpaceX ground controllers, were able to bring the toilet back online. Elon Musk tweeted that upgrades to the Crew Dragon toilet would be necessary.

SpaceX provided more information later, saying a tube in the tank got loose, preventing urine from entering the storage tank and causing it to spill beneath the Crew Dragon floor. A similar issue was detected in Endeavour, a Crew Dragon parked outside ISS. SpaceX apparently remedied the problem by October, with Endurance being the first Crew Dragon to feature the upgraded toilets.

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2021 Was the Weirdest Year in Space Ever - Gizmodo