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Endeavour mission Q&A

With the big questions answered about the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour Friday - Are all systems go? Will U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords watch her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, lift into space? And, will the weather hold? - here are answers to some less-pressing but still-interesting questions about the 14-day mission to the International Space Station.

How do astronauts go to the bathroom?

In space, everything floats, so though the toilet on the space shuttle is designed to be as much as possible like those on Earth, units use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system.

Besides the main toilet bowel, plastic urinal devices called urinal funnels are attached to a tube, which is hooked up to catch the urine as it comes out. Bars like those used to hold riders on a roller coaster pull down across the hips. Velcro straps help hold feet in place on the floor. Solid wastes are compressed and stored onboard Waste water is vented into space. Wipes are bagged and stored in a separate container for later disposalHow do they brush their teeth?

Astronauts brush their teeth as usual, though spitting in a near weightless environment would be problematic. So a dental consultant with NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston developed foamless and ingestible toothpaste called NASAdent. Crew members who prefer regular toothpaste spit into washcloths.

Can they shower?

There's no shower on the shuttle, so the crew makes do with wet washcloths.

What if someone gets hurt?

Medical officers can use a series of medical kits called the Shuttle Orbiter Medical System to deal with medical issues, including suturing lacerations, giving injections and intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and other medications, and diagnosing and treating a variety of illnesses.

What to wear? What to wear?

Astronauts typically bring a change of clothes for every day of the mission, often selecting shirts with their mission's logo sewn on them. They wear pants, shorts, long- or short-sleeve shirts, as well as pullovers and sweaters. During launch and entry, crew members use the familiar orange launch and entry suits. In the event of a pressure leak in the flight cabin, the suits maintain a positive air pressure around the astronaut to survive the return to Earth during an emergency landing. If an astronaut has to bail out over cold water, the pressurized suit also would provide thermal protection. The suits also provide an emergency oxygen system; parachute, a life raft; drinking water; flotation devices; and other survival gear including a radio/beacon, signal mirror, sea dye marker, and flares.

What do they eat?

It's not all freeze-dried. Some foods can be eaten in their natural form, such as fruits, nuts and cookies. Some foods, like macaroni and cheese, chicken and noodles, and spaghetti, require adding water. There's an oven to heat food but no refrigerator. They have ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise but salt and pepper only in liquid form. Regular salt and pepper would float away and possibly clog air vents, contaminate equipment or get stuck in an astronaut's eye.

Nutritionists ensure the food they eat provides them with a balanced supply of vitamins and minerals.

They drink water, coffee, tea, juice, and lemonade.

Packaging is tossed in trash compactor.

How do they sleep?

Astronauts typically are allotted eight hours of shut eye at the end of each day during the mission. They usually sleep in sleeping bags, and because they are weightless, they attach themselves to a bunk, seat or wall so they don't float around the crew cabin and bump into things. When it is time to wake up, the Mission Control Center in Houston plays music for the crew, often chosen by family members.

Compiled by reporter Karina Bland with information from NASA at

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