Waste Management Systems in Space refers to the systems used to collect urine, menstrual, and fecal waste in the weightless or low gravity environments of outer space. When WCS fail it can result in unhygienic and aesthetically unpleasing conditions, along with the spread of substantial quantities of bacterial contamination, noxious odor problems, and crew reluctance to use.
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You poop less and drink less water. You urine has more calcium.
In the absence of weight, the collection and retention of liquid and solid waste is directed by use of air flow. Since the air used to direct the waste is returned to the cabin, it is filtered beforehand to control odor and cleanse bacteria. In older systems, waste water is vented into space and any solids are compressed and stored for removal upon landing. More modern systems expose solid waste to vacuum to kill bacteria, which prevents odor problems and kills pathogens.[citation needed] WCS has been defined as .