From Yahoo News:
HOUSTON - The international space station's toilet trouble appeared to be taken care of Wednesday after a Russian cosmonaut replaced a malfunctioning pump.
The space station's toilet broke two weeks ago. The problem — confined to the urine side of the commode — forced the orbiting outpost's crew of an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts to flush manually with extra water several times a day.
Better the urine side than the other side. The Discovery delivered a replacement pump which Oleg Kononenko installed and tested.
The toilet worked normally. It transports urine via air flow to the pump, which separates the gas and liquid.
"Let's start using it," Russian Mission Control told Kononenko, one of the two Russians living aboard the space station. "We'll keep our fingers crossed."
Kononenko was asked to give periodic reports on how the toilet was working.
Please report. We need to know. I'm sure that the inhabitants of the station are relieved.
Good pun!
ReplyDeleteRuth, I didn't catch the pun until well after I had posted, nor did Jane R. who sent me the link with "we are so relieved" in the subject line of the email. I suppose that I took the hint from her for the line.
ReplyDeleteHappy news! I'm sure that the crews of both the orbiter and the ISS are feeling flush with success!
ReplyDeleteGrandmère Mimi, you're too modest. I'm sure your subconscious caught that pun.
ReplyDeleteRR, I do believe yours was an intentional pun. Oh, you English with your punning!
ReplyDeleteRuth, you could be right, but sometimes - as the English say - I'm thick as two short planks.
So, I want to know how much the damn toilet repair cost!
ReplyDelete