The $30 Million Toilet That Keeps Breaking on the Way to the Moon
Sixty years of space toilet engineering, a decade of development, and a $30 million contract - and the Artemis II crew still had to pee in bags on Day 1.
Launch Date
May 25, 2022
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC40
Launch Vehicle
NORAD ID
52734
International Designator
2022-057C
Decay Date
9/14/2024
Name
PTD-3 (TBIRD)
Alternative Name
PTD-3
Type
Status
Owner
ARC/TERRAN
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Length
0.3
Diameter
0.2
Span
2.1
Dry Mass
10
Launch Mass
10
Shape
Box+2 pan
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Tyvak-0125
Purpose
Technology
Mission
Technology
Manufacturer
TERRAN
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Cubesat 6U
Configuration
CubeSat (6U)
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
TBIRDS Laser communications terminal
Power System
2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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Sixty years of space toilet engineering, a decade of development, and a $30 million contract - and the Artemis II crew still had to pee in bags on Day 1.
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