From CNN.com: Space Station's sole toilet is broken...

[Samurai8472]

While one of the crew was using the Russian-made toilet last week, the toilet motor fan stopped working, according to NASA. Since then, the liquid waste gathering part of the toilet has been working on-and-off

that's just begging for a stereotypical joke about all russian hardware failing(Armeggedon) >_>

 

[Jadzia]

This is what they need.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Any ideas when in 2008 the second space toilet is set to fly... or if Russia has delivered it to NASA yet??

Or have they pushed it back since the crew compliment won't go up till Orion is flying?

 

[Squiggy]

The second toilet will go up with Node 3 on STS-130 in late 2009.

And the crew complement will go up to 6 in May of next year on the final segment of Expedition 19, not when Orion starts flying (sometime in the mid-late 2010s).

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Thanks, Squiggy! So that means 2 Soyuz on-station for lifeboat duty from then till Orion becomes operational?

Are those interim 2 rack sized staterooms going up on the same flight? If I recall correctly, those are going to be used since the habitation module was pulled from the manifest.