SpaceX Astronauts Forced to Wear Diapers Returning to Earth After Toilet Breaks

The 20-hour long flight from the International Space Station to earth last Sunday was an uncomfortable one for SpaceX astronauts.

The crew was forced to wear diapers on the ride back on the flagship Dragon capsule when its toilet broke, according to the New York Post.

The issue was first noted in September when a tube came unglued and urine spilled beneath the floorboards. And most recently, the toilet leak was discovered when they pulled floor panels from the capsule.

Impressively, the astronauts took the messy incident in stride.

“Spaceflight is full of lots of little challenges,” NASA astronaut Megan McArthur said during a news conference. “This is just one more that we’ll encounter and take care of in our mission. So we’re not too worried about it.”

McArthur and the rest of the crew were at the International Space Station for six months before their recent trip home. Their replacements were set to leave, but the launch was pushed back after issues with weather and a crew member having an undisclosed medical problem, the New York Post said.

The launch is now expected for Wednesday.

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