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It is clear everyone that going to space is a big deal for almost everyone, and it is a known fact to me that whenever I do something important for myself, pretty much everything goes out of my body as a liquid. This raises the following immediate question:

If an astronaut needs to go to the toilet during launch, what can they do and what do they need to do?

It would also be interesting to know what kind of preventative measures are taken (if any) before the launch.

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    $\begingroup$ A good dramatization of the problem can be seen in the movie The Right Stuff. It's worth watching. $\endgroup$
    – DrSheldon
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 13:49
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    $\begingroup$ "what can/need to they do?" Huh? Can you rephrase, please? $\endgroup$
    – Evorlor
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 23:13
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    $\begingroup$ Well, it Depends. $\endgroup$
    – Dan
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 23:58
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    $\begingroup$ Everything you need to know (or not) about peeing in space, with some nuggets of knowledge about before the launch: twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277166996017152 $\endgroup$
    – Guillaume
    Commented Jun 26, 2020 at 4:53
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    $\begingroup$ This is why you go before you leave on a long trip. $\endgroup$
    – Comic Sans Seraphim
    Commented Jun 26, 2020 at 19:29

2 Answers 2

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They use three high-tech procedures:

  • They schedule and ration their fluid and food intake.
  • They go to the bathroom before the trip.
  • They wear diapers, sorry, I meant Maximum Absorbency Garment.

In other words: they do exactly what you do before a trip. Minus the diaper, probably.

So, the answer to your question is the third point: they just pee in their pants, whereas points 1 and 2 are to avoid the problem in the first place.

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    $\begingroup$ Alan Shepard was the first astronaut to urinate into his suit. Without maximum absorbency garment. He had to suffer a long launch delay of two and a half hours for a mission less than 20 minutes. $\endgroup$
    – Uwe
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 13:39
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    $\begingroup$ Crewmembers told me they had to practice preflight to overcome a lifetime of habit / 'toilet training' and be able to go in the diaper. $\endgroup$
    – Organic Marble
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 14:42
  • $\begingroup$ American launches, at least, have a bathroom at the top of the tower, right before entering the rocket. Plus they quarantine for several days before launch to avert any risks. $\endgroup$
    – The Impaler
    Commented Jun 27, 2020 at 1:58
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One of the main traditions and rituals of Soviet cosmonautics- all crew must urinate on the right rear wheel of their bus: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140610-the-strange-rituals-of-cosmonauts

enter image description here

With a cleansing enema launch day begins.

To help ease our difficulty, we are offered a pre-launch enema. Administered by our flight surgeons, this allows us to launch with a clear mind and a clean colon.

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    $\begingroup$ it is funny, but unfortunately, that is not an answer. $\endgroup$
    – Our
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 7:24
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    $\begingroup$ @onurcanbektas that is true, but it is also a tradition to post this as an answer to questions about to urination before flight, I suppose this is also good luck? $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 8:27
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    $\begingroup$ Hmm... This ritual seems like it would have been problematic for the 3 female cosmonauts... $\endgroup$
    – reirab
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 15:09
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    $\begingroup$ @reirab Pee funnel. $\endgroup$
    – user3067860
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 16:30
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    $\begingroup$ @reirab According to the linked article, "Female astronauts have been known to bring vials of their urine to splash on the wheel." $\endgroup$
    – notovny
    Commented Jun 25, 2020 at 20:37

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