emergency toilet part to be launched into space

via Drudgereport:


AP reports that the only toilet on the international space station, which is now broken and in need of a new toilet pump, will receive a replacement part via emergency transport by the space shuttle Discovery.

from the article:

"While the three space station residents are eager to see the Kibo lab, the bathroom situation has become a more pressing issue. For the past week, the two Russian and one American men have had to periodically manually flush the urine side of the Russian-built toilet. The job takes 10 minutes and requires two people."

also from the article:

The solid-waste part of the toilet is working properly.

thank goodness.