Trending Now - Artemis 2 Crew Experiences Toilet Malfunction, Assures Safety
WHO:
CBS News - Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Space.com - Astronauts on NASA's Artemis 2 mission
NY Post - The advanced toilet system on the Artemis II spacecraft
WHAT:
CBS News - The crew reported being at 118,000 nautical miles from the moon.
CBS News - The crew has been instructed to use collapsible contingency urinals (CCUs) due to intermittent toilet problems.
Space.com - Astronauts reported a burning smell from the Orion spacecraft toilet.
NY Post - The malfunctioning toilet system is valued at $23 million.
WHERE:
Space.com - The astronauts are currently aboard the Orion spacecraft, which is en route to the moon.
WHEN:
CBS News - The crew reached the milestone of being closer to the moon than to Earth on April 4th, 2026.
Space.com - The report of the burning smell occurred overnight on April 3rd, 2026.
Space.com - The Artemis 2 mission is over halfway to the moon as of April 4th, 2026.
WHY:
Space.com - Mission Control is not overly concerned about the reported burning smell.
HOW:
CBS News - Flight controllers re-oriented the Orion capsule to allow sunlight to warm up the waste water vent line in an effort to resolve the toilet issue, a procedure referred to as a "bake out."
NY Post - The toilet system previously malfunctioned after takeoff.
(UPDATED April 4, 2026 21:02 UTC)
on Saturday, the Artemis II crew, consisting of commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, reached a significant milestone by getting closer to the moon than to Earth, currently at 118,000 nautical miles away. Due to intermittent toilet problems, the crew has been instructed to use collapsible contingency urinals, while flight controllers have re-oriented the Orion capsule to allow sunlight to warm the waste water vent line in a procedure known as a "bake out." This innovative approach aims to resolve the ongoing toilet issue during their historic mission.
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(UPDATED April 4, 2026 19:10 UTC)
Astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis 2 mission, currently en route to the moon, reported a burning smell from the Orion spacecraft's advanced toilet system, which is valued at $23 million. This incident occurred overnight on Friday, and follows a previous malfunction of the toilet system shortly after takeoff. However, Mission Control is not overly concerned about the reported issue as the mission progresses.