Space trouble: Burning smell reported from $23 million toilet on Artemis II mission

A strange burning smell aboard the Artemis II spacecraft briefly raised concern after astronauts traced it to the area around the advanced onboard toilet system. The issue comes just days after the $23 million waste management unit experienced an earlier malfunction shortly after launch.

While the crew has been cleared to continue using the system, the unexplained odor added another tense moment to the moon-bound mission.

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What did the astronauts smell?

Astronauts aboard Artemis II reported a mysterious burning smell coming from the spacecraft’s advanced $23 million toilet system, adding a fresh complication to the moon-bound mission.

The issue was flagged by astronaut Chrisna Koch, who had already repaired the toilet earlier in the mission after a separate malfunction, reported Space.com.

Speaking to Mission Control on Saturday, Koch said, “Regarding the smell, I just wanted to make sure you all were tracking the EGS notes of the kind of burning heater smell that was coming from toilet several times.”

According to the crew, the odor resembled the scent of an old electric heater that had not been used in a long time.

Koch further explained, "It was never identified as the source, what it exactly was, but it was identified as an unknown smell."

The unusual smell prompted Mission Control to review possible sources inside the hygiene area.

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Was the toilet already malfunctioning?

Yes, shortly after the April 1 launch, the urine hose of the Upper Waste Management System experienced a malfunction.

That issue was addressed the following day by Koch, who successfully fixed the problem on Thursday, reported The New York Post.

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What has NASA said so far?

NASA flight controllers initially suspected that the smell may have been linked to orange insulation located on the toilet’s hygiene bay door.

Despite the lingering mystery, Mission Control informed the crew that there were no “major concerns” and cleared them to continue using the commode, reported Space.com.

The smell remains unexplained, but NASA has indicated that the situation is stable and does not pose an immediate risk to the Artemis II mission.


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FAQs

What caused the smell?
The exact source has not yet been identified.

Is the toilet still working?
Yes, the crew has been cleared to keep using it.