CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Toilet plumbing problems, email glitches and issues phoning home: Astronauts are just like us!The four crew members who launched Wednesday on NASA’s 10-day Artemis II mission around the moon have already overcome several challenges during their first day in space.Shortly after they reached orbit around Earth, the crew members — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — experienced a “loss of communications” with ground controllers. During the brief dropout, NASA was unable to receive data from the crew members or their Orion spacecraft. The astronauts seemed to be able to hear Mission Control, but not the other way around.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe issue was resolved quickly, and NASA officials said ground teams are investigating what caused the glitch.“There were no issues with the vehicle itself,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Wednesday at a post-launch news briefing. “Comms with the crew have been restored. We’re actively working the issue.”The crew members also reported a blinking fault light while they tested their onboard toilet Wednesday.Called the Universal Waste Management System, the toilet on the Orion capsule is designed to vent urine overboard and store feces until the crew’s return. It is separated by a door on the capsule’s floor to allow some privacy. A similar toilet has been tested on the International Space Station.AdvertisementAdvertisementMission managers worked with the astronauts to assess the problem overnight, and NASA confirmed early Thursday that the crew was able to restore the space toilet to normal operations.Had it not been fixed, the backup plan was for the crew to use what NASA calls “collapsible contingency urinals” to collect urine in bags. The toilet would still have been used for fecal collection.The Earth’s horizon from NASA’s Orion spacecraft as it orbits during the first hours of the Artemis II flight. (NASA YouTube)(NASA YouTube)A third issue that cropped up may feel the most relatable to many people on Earth: While the astronauts were setting up their computers, they requested tech support from Mission Control. The culprit? Microsoft Outlook.“I also see that I have two Microsoft Outlooks, and neither one of those are working,” W …
