Artemis II astronauts near Moon for historic flyby, toilet glitch poses minor challenge

While the Artemis II spacecraft may be far from Earth on its way for a historic flyby around the Moon, the crew is still dealing with an earthly problem, a malfunctioning toilet onboard.

The four-member crew is set to reach the Moon on Monday, capturing images of the lunar far side as they loop around it. The mission marks the first time in more than 53 years that humans are travelling to the Moon, continuing from where NASA’s Apollo programme ended.

“The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger,” pilot Victor Glover reported.

Toilet glitch persists onboard Orion

The Orion capsule’s toilet has been malfunctioning since liftoff on Wednesday, forcing astronauts to rely on backup urine collection bags. Mission Control said the system has been inconsistent, with engineers suspecting that ice may be blocking the line and preventing proper flushing.

The toilet remains usable for solid waste. NASA officials also confirmed that astronauts reported an odour coming from the bathroom, which is located in the floor of the capsule and equipped with a door and curtain for privacy.

“Space toilets and bathrooms are something everybody can really understand .. it’s always a challenge,” said Debbie Korth, NASA’s Orion programme deputy manager.

John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, said the system is currently functional but not at full efficiency.

“They’re OK,” he said of the astronauts. “They trained to manage through the situation.”

Historic lunar mission after five decades

Artemis II is set to take astronauts farther into space than any human mission in history, reaching more than 252,000 miles (400,000 kilometres) from Earth before looping behind the Moon and returning without entering lunar orbit. The current record is held by Apollo 13.

The crew includes three Americans and one Canadian, marking a milestone in international collaboration. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is the first non-US citizen to travel to the Moon.

“Today he is making history for Canada,” said Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell. “As we watch him taking this bold step into the unknown, let his journey remind us that Canada’s future is written by those who dare to reach for more.”

Hansen, speaking during a live link-up, said he had already witnessed “extraordinary” views from the Orion capsule.

Milestone crew and future lunar plans

The Artemis II crew, comprising Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch, are the first lunar astronauts since Apollo 17 in 1972. Koch and Glover are also the first woman and first Black astronaut, respectively, to undertake a lunar mission.

The nearly 10-day mission will conclude with a Pacific splashdown on April 10 and is a key step in NASA’s long-term plan to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon. The space agency aims to land astronauts near the lunar south pole by 2028.

(With inputs from AP)