Cosmonaut bemoans ISS toilet row Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka has bemoaned an increasingly petty US-Russian spat in which politics apparently threaten the brotherly co-operation which has hitherto marked life aboard the International Space Station. The Expedition 19 Crew. Pic: NASA Padalka (pictured centre with NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, left, and Japan …
That when the astro/cosmo nauts are up there, they won't give a shit about the politics of toilet usage and exercise bikes, and just use whatever. At the end of the day it's not like a US congressman can go up there and give them a ticking off in person, (unless John Gleen is up for a quikc jolly) so I guess the ISS residents will say piss off and make me.
This post has been deleted by its author
Back when the Russians started space tourism, the Americans were upset, so they complained that the tourists had not been properly trained in the use of the facility. Then the Americans toilet broke, and asked to used the Russian one, which is a different design. The Russians tried some irony, and said the Americans lacked proper toilet training. That was perhaps a mistake as many Americans have difficulty recognising irony. It looks like some of them still have not got the joke.
It's Tim-the-Tool-man Taylor. Sent to make silly gags while adding more power to the toilet.
Why not just go piss outside?
@Jeffrey: They're on 24hr video surveillance and when they get back to land they might not be directly punished but just find they get bumped down the pecking order a bit.
Of all petty-minded crap. Surely the bill is just totted up and then taken as a split between countries participating (probably based on the number of astronauts going up)? Or would that just be too damned easy?
The money they waste on the squabbles would probably pay for another space-shitter!
I understand that you might charge someone to take a person to space, or equipment to space that is not from your own nation.
(why should Russia pay to take Americans into space, why should Americans pay to take Russians into space?).
but really, why is it that the American government have responded to this realistic concern, that it costs to take people to space, with a pathetic retort of well you can't use our bits then?
it costs hundred, possibly even thousands of dollars per kilo to take matter into space, it can't possibly take that much to relieve yourself.
in essence, what I'm saying is that I agree with the statement from the Russians, it costs to get to space, so if we take your men/equipment then you can pay us, (and visa versa). but once we're up there then lets just share all the equipment and facilities.
I mean, what if the air cleaning/scrubbing was done by Russian equipment, are they going to have to have an American model as well? or do the Americans have to have respirators and tanked oxygen?
They should just use each others facilities and then make a point of reporting the events with full details at great length to ground control. Repeat until such time as the news networks get hold of it and start rebroadcasting it.
[inset remark about "wiping" and "shit-eating grin" here]
Everything American politician learned, they learned in kindergarten. How to be bullies in the playground was their big one. Kicking sand on people while they're down was another. I especially liked the lesson on "do as I say, don't do as I do". So the Russians have a commercial (ie: capitalist pig dog) space program, whereas the Americans evidently have a socialist, government funded space program to match the socialism they show their bankers.
My how the world has turned.
(open the door Hal. OK, but I just had beans. Close the door Hal, for all that's holy CLOSE THE DOOR)
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
