The crewmen could urinate from either a standing or sitting position. The astronauts' "toilet" (if we can call it that) was basically a hole in the wall, hooked up to a fan and a baggie. Since the system operates on a vacuum, a tight seal is essential. Beside the main toilet bowl, there is a hose, which is utilized as a urinal by men and women.

Going to the bathroom becomes even more challenging when astronauts take a walk outside their spacecraft. Astronauts in spacesuits go to the bathroom in high-tech diapers called Maximum Absorption Garments but the International Space Station use a 19 million dollar toilet that uses suction for pooping in plastic bags and in a hose for urine that’s recycled into drinking water to be used by the crew. Astronauts go through "positional training" on Earth to make sure solid waste goes directly into the narrow opening of these space toilets, Roberts explained. Astronauts use adult diapers during take-offs and landings as well. Instead, a long hose … A separate fecal bag was used for each defecation. A urine collector, located on the wall just below the fecal collector, also utilized airflow as a substitute for gravity to draw the urine through a receiver and hose into a urine collection bag. Astronauts must use straps to hold their feet against the floor and pivoting bars swing across the thighs, ensuring the user remains seated. These diapers are able to hold up to a quart of liquid. On Jones’ missions, crewmembers stored their towels in … Astronauts also used the toilet’s closed-off space on the shuttles for changing clothes and wiping themselves down with bath towels. Because they can't simply drop their space suit and go, astronauts typically use a superabsorbent adult diaper. How the space toilet works On the shuttle, urine is handled differently than solid waste, so it doesn't go through the 4-inch opening.