Space Plumber – 14 April 2026

The Artemis 2 Mission Crew, on their 10-day trip around the Moon, faced recurring issues with their spacecraft’s $23 million (£17 million) Universal Waste Management System (their toilet).

As the Worshipful Company of Plumbers, we are one of the City of London’s ancient livery companies, and it hasn’t escaped us that even in deep space, professional plumbing skills remain mission critical!

NASA astronaut Christina Koch humorously embraced the title of “space plumber” after troubleshooting a malfunction that occurred just hours after launch.

Her light-hearted self-appointment has resonated with the public and industry professionals alike. She noted that while the toilet might seem mundane, it is “probably the most important piece of equipment on board,” as its failure would force the crew to rely on backup Apollo-era collection bags.

The crew navigated several “plumbing” challenges during their journey:

The Initial Jam: Shortly after the April 1st launch, a blinking amber fault light indicated the system was not processing liquid waste• The “Space Plumber” Fix: Christina worked with Mission Control to resolve what was diagnosed as a priming issue- the system simply needed to warm up after sitting unused• Frozen Vent Lines: Later in the mission, the toilet struggled to dump urine into space. Controllers had to rotate the Orion capsule to point the waste vent toward the Sun to melt potential ice blockages• Burning Odours: On Day 1, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hanson reported a burning odour inside the cabin when the toilet fan jammed, requiring the crew to wear ear protection due to the system’s high noise levels.

The Worshipful Company of Plumbers continue to support the craft on Earth (and beyond), recently celebrating World Plumbing Day and the next generation of apprentices who might one day follow in Koch’s footsteps.

Author: John Mager.