Nature's call comes in zero G just as it does in one G. And to keep astronauts copacetic when the call does come, NASA's now-retired space shuttles feature the device pictured below--what the agency calls an "integrated, multifunctional system used primarily to collect and process biological wastes from crew members in a zero-gravity environment.”
You might call it a toilet.
The “waste collection system,” as it’s formally known, is located “middeck” in the crew compartment—just aft of the side hatch. And though it serves the same basic function as a terrestrial toilet, the WCS is a bit more complicated, as NASA explains on its website.
There’s a commode, urinal, fans, bacteria filter, and various controls—not to mention handholds and various restraints to position the body in a zero-gravity environment. Oh yes, and dual privacy curtains. It accommodates men and women.
Want to get an even better sense of what it’s like to use the bathroom in space? This “gigapan” image, created by Washington, D.C.-based freelance photographer Jon Brack, lets you zoom in our out and move left and right. Click “view all” to see the entire image. Click on the snapshots to get more information.
Want a full accounting of the WCS’s design and operation? Don't worry--NASA has created an entire WCS webpage.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/space-shuttle-waste-collection-system-toilet_n_1432501.html?ref=science&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-nb%7Cdl34%7Csec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D153118