From Pee to Coffee: The Astronauts' Recycling System

In 2018, NASA spent $23 million on a new toilet for the International Space Station. This vacuum toilet is designed to handle zero-gravity bathroom needs. It has two parts: a hose with a funnel for urination and a small raised seat for bowel movements.

The bathroom includes handholds and footholds to keep astronauts steady. For urination, astronauts can stand or sit, ensuring the funnel is snug against the skin to avoid leaks. 

For bowel movements, they lift the lid and sit down, triggering suction to keep waste contained and odors controlled. The seat is smaller than typical household toilets to ensure a  secure fit 
Pee is over 90% water, and since water is heavy, it's more efficient to recycle urine than to bring fresh water from Earth. Astronauts collect urine and turn it into clean drinking water, often joking, “Today’s coffee is tomorrow’s coffee!”

While astronaut poop is sometimes sent back to Earth for research, most waste, including poop, is burned (destroyed). It's vacuum-sealed in bags and placed in airtight containers along with toilet paper, wipes, and gloves. These containers are loaded onto cargo ships that resupply the space station. When these ships return to Earth, they burn up (disintegrate) in the atmosphere.

So, when you see a shooting star, it might be a meteorite or possibly astronaut waste burning up. Next time you use the bathroom, be grateful for gravity!