4 Apr 2026, 21:15 Updated: 10h ago
The advanced toilet system, which cost around $23million, previously malfunctioned after takeoff.
4 Apr 2026, 21:15 | Updated: 10h ago
The Artemis II crew, now in space, have reported multiple issues with their $23million toilet – including a recent burning smell.
Picture:
Alamy
Astronauts on board Artemis II are reporting a mysterious burning smell coming from the toilet system onboard the rocket.
The advanced toilet system, which cost around $23million, previously malfunctioned after takeoff.
Astronaut Christna Koch radioed mission control on Saturday, saying: “Regarding the smell, I just wanted to make sure you were all tracking the EGS notes of the kind of burning heater smell that was coming from the toilet several times.”
The source was not identified exactly, but had been recorded as an “unknown smell”.
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NASA’s Artemis II moon rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-B on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Picture:
Alamy
The new smell has been described as similar to an old electric heater that hasn’t been used in a while, according to the report.
She previously fixed the toilet on Thursday, after the urine hose experienced a malfunction shortly after launch, according to reports.
After initially hearing about the smell, NASA flight controllers had attributed it to the orange insulation on the toilet’s hygiene bay door.
Despite the aroma, the crew has been cleared to continue using the facilities, and Mission Control has said there are no “major concerns”.