Collection and management of fecal wastes for space missions

An improved type of human waste collection subsystem has been developed for Space Station Freedom which is designed to meet the challenges of zero gravity collection and system performance. Fecal collection is followed by passive storage for relatively short duration missions. The benefits of utilizing components in solid wastes as part of a partial or completely closed Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) become more apparent as the duration of the mission increases. The purpose of this review is to summarize the development issues associated with the current waste management subsystem for Space Station Freedom. Also reviewed are current ideas associated with the evolutionary development of this waste management subsystem for longer duration missions.