# Back to the Moon! Artemis program follow along (it's finally happening!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 27, 2022, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432 "2022-08-27T12:25:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 41
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/802 "2026-04-07T18:02:01Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > but the liquid is not pure water - and they were obviously too squeamish to test it with actual urine. Let me guess, they used some sort of bright blue liquid, didn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/803 "2026-04-07T18:16:29Z")
If anything, the freezing point of urine should be below the freezing point of water given its high salt content. Everybody who has used road salt in winter probably knows this. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/804 "2026-04-07T19:22:44Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Why do they keep having trouble with the toilet? They didn’t read the instructions. [![](https://i0.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/screenshot-71.jpg) ](https://i0.wp.com/boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/screenshot-71.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/805 "2026-04-07T19:43:06Z")
If you look at a picture of the toilet, it basically looks like a large pipe. The first thought that may flash through one’s mind is, “how do you sit on a large pipe?” The answer of course is that in zero-G you never “sit” on anything. Which also raises the interesting question of peeing into this pipe when there is no gravity. Someone, someday, may win a Nobel Prize for designing a truly effective zero-G toilet. We’re not there yet. We’re not far removed from Thomas Stafford trying to corral a smelly turd floating around in the Apollo capsule during Apollo 10. Being an astronaut is not entirely glamorous, but neither is being a human. It’s just that back on earth, we’ve learned to deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/806 "2026-04-07T19:50:37Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Which also raises the interesting question of peeing into this pipe when there is no gravity. I was thinking of something along the lines of those Dyson bladeless fans to help move things along if they are not travelling fast enough in the right direction… ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/807 "2026-04-07T19:59:36Z")
It seems like the toilet would need to be able to be swiveled so that it can be in proper “downwards” position either through spin gravity or when under thrust. Although during thrust, everyone is strapped into their seats, so maybe not then. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/808 "2026-04-07T20:21:18Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Someone, someday, may win a Nobel Prize for designing a truly effective zero-G toilet. The Nobel Prices are divided into six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. Which one would be in your opinion the right one for the truly effective zero-G toilett? I think the Nobel Price is not the right award for that engineering feat. The IgNobel, on the other hand… Corollary: Actio = reactio, so when the astronauts urinate or defecate in one direction they experience an acceleration in the oposite direction. The masses are very different (I hope), but in such a small space it could still be interesting. Even farting could have consequences! ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/809 "2026-04-07T20:24:35Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Even farting could have consequences! Well, wouldn’t that be a contender for the physics Nobel, the inventor of an interstellar fart-driven spacecraft? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/810 "2026-04-07T20:25:30Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > They didn’t read the instructions. I count **53** lines of instructions. > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Even farting could have consequences! Yet another entry from my never-finished novel ideas, a space colony inhabitant explaining to a grounder (Terran) about the many things you can’t take for granted in a closed cycle habitat: “In space, when you fart it goes in someone’s face”. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/811 "2026-04-07T20:25:31Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The Nobel Prices are divided into six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. Which one would be in your opinion the right one for the truly effective zero-G toilett? Peace, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/812 "2026-04-07T20:35:15Z")
President Ineptstein will be really pissed. Good! ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/813 "2026-04-07T20:37:31Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The Nobel Prices are divided into six categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. Which one would be in your opinion the right one for the truly effective zero-G toilett? All really. The only longshot there is Literature, but in the end, who doesn’t like to read on the toilet? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/814 "2026-04-07T20:38:05Z")
I wish to change my vote to all of the above. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/815 "2026-04-07T20:39:21Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > all of the above. He will still be pissed. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/816 "2026-04-07T20:49:23Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Actio = reactio, so when the astronauts urinate or defecate in one direction they experience an acceleration in the oposite direction. Explosive diarrhea could have interesting propellant consequences! Yes, zero-G toilets definitely deserve Nobel-level physics research! 🥴 In all seriousness, I’m saddened by the screwup with the toilet. By all accounts the containment devices are really disgusting. Which is why the toilet was added in the first place. I suspect there will be some firings and reassignments over this. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/817 "2026-04-07T21:29:34Z")
I only scanned the last ~24 hours of the thread. @wolfpup, did you ever get a clear explanation of the PR stream’s display of capsule speed that makes sense to you? If not I have one. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/818 "2026-04-07T21:50:02Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > > Even farting could have consequences! > > Well, wouldn’t that be a contender for the physics Nobel, the inventor of an interstellar fart-driven spacecraft? That’s essentially what the Orion Drive is. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/819 "2026-04-07T22:04:21Z")
Well, in space, no one can smell your farts. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/820 "2026-04-07T22:12:29Z")
Final countdown for lift off 10 9 8 7 6 ready for lift off 5 4 3 2 1 ## PULL MY FINGER! ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/821 "2026-04-07T22:14:34Z")
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