In the tense final hours before NASA's astronauts flew into space, a series of technical issues threatened to ground their landmark mission. A faulty toilet and issues involving two safety systems were reported over the radio. NASA managed to resolve the problems by being 'quick on their feet', an official later said. The Artemis II crew are now hurtling around the Earth's orbit, carrying out final tests and checks before they head towards the Moon.
### 'Toilet is go'
The crew quickly discovered that even a trip to the Moon comes with very down-to-earth plumbing problems. Sensors in the spacecraft's waste-management system threw up some readings they did not expect. Astronaut Christina Koch reportedly acted as a plumber, dismantling parts of the toilet under instruction from mission control. 'Happy to report that toilet is go for use,' mission control later said over the radio. The lack of gravity in space means waste management is a key issue in space travel, and NASA has spent more than $23m developing the 'Universal Waste Management System'. This system allows both men and women to use the toilet efficiently while preventing spills.
### Issue with safety systems
There were also issues reported with the flight termination system and the launch abort system - two safety systems that protect astronauts and the public. The flight termination system allows engineers on the ground to destroy the rocket if it veers off course; it reportedly had a communications issue, resolved using hardware from the Space Shuttle program. Meanwhile, the launch abort system is designed to pull the crew capsule away from the rocket in case of an emergency during launch, but it gave a higher-than-expected temperature reading. With these issues resolved, the countdown clock was held at 10 minutes while engineers went through final preparations. The rocket then launched into the sky, to the awe of those watching at the Kennedy Space Centre and around the world.
### 'Toilet is go'
The crew quickly discovered that even a trip to the Moon comes with very down-to-earth plumbing problems. Sensors in the spacecraft's waste-management system threw up some readings they did not expect. Astronaut Christina Koch reportedly acted as a plumber, dismantling parts of the toilet under instruction from mission control. 'Happy to report that toilet is go for use,' mission control later said over the radio. The lack of gravity in space means waste management is a key issue in space travel, and NASA has spent more than $23m developing the 'Universal Waste Management System'. This system allows both men and women to use the toilet efficiently while preventing spills.
### Issue with safety systems
There were also issues reported with the flight termination system and the launch abort system - two safety systems that protect astronauts and the public. The flight termination system allows engineers on the ground to destroy the rocket if it veers off course; it reportedly had a communications issue, resolved using hardware from the Space Shuttle program. Meanwhile, the launch abort system is designed to pull the crew capsule away from the rocket in case of an emergency during launch, but it gave a higher-than-expected temperature reading. With these issues resolved, the countdown clock was held at 10 minutes while engineers went through final preparations. The rocket then launched into the sky, to the awe of those watching at the Kennedy Space Centre and around the world.
