Ejectors as a Contingency for Waste and Odor Collection in Microgravity

Waste collection in microgravity has been extensively studied for over 50 years culminating in the design and implementation of the latest technology called the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS). However, toilets are generally zero fault tolerant to function. This means a small space vehicle with only one toilet would be left without waste collection assistance in the event of a system or component failure. Collins Aerospace has demonstrated a small and effective method for assisting in waste collection for contingency scenarios. The design is compact, lightweight, and can be utilized by either male or female crew members to collect urine and possibly manage odor during defecation. The preliminary performance testing of this technology in a 1g environment will be discussed in this paper as well as any modifications necessary for use in a microgravity environment.