Geographic Context
Floating 250 miles above Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) serves as humanity’s only permanent off-world home. Crew members from over a dozen countries squeeze into its tight modules to live, work, and run experiments in microgravity. Without gravity to keep things grounded, even something as simple as using the bathroom—or relying on the spacesuit itself—requires some clever engineering.
Key Details
| Type | Purpose | Capacity | Worn During |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Absorption Garment (MAG) | Soaks up urine and feces | Up to 1 quart of liquid | Launch, landing, spacewalks |
| Waste Collection System (WCS) | Uses suction to pull away solid and liquid waste | N/A | Inside ISS modules |
| Contingency Collection Device | Acts as a backup if the MAG fails | Minimal volume | Emergency situations |
Interesting Background
The MAG evolved from NASA’s Space Shuttle program, where the Disposable Absorption Containment Trunk (DACT) debuted in 1983. Before that? Astronauts got creative—Apollo crews used rolled cuffs and plastic bags stuck to their skin. Modern MAGs rely on superabsorbent polymers (the same stuff in hospital underpads) lined with charcoal to kill odors. Training in neutral buoyancy labs teaches astronauts how to put on and take off the suit without ripping the liner—a real danger when you’re wearing pressurized gloves.
Solid waste gets vacuumed into containers and later incinerated when cargo ships reenter Earth’s atmosphere. Urine, on the other hand, gets a second chance: it’s purified, filtered, and turned into drinking water on the ISS. This closed-loop system cuts down on over 6,000 pounds of water shipped from Earth each year—a detail that still blows the minds of first-time station visitors.
Practical Information
Planning a suborbital flight in 2026? You’ll need to train with a MAG weeks ahead of time. Fit matters: too loose and you risk leaks; too tight and you’ll cut off circulation. Most commercial astronaut programs suggest bringing your own moisture-wicking base layer to wear underneath. And while the ISS recycles water like a champ, don’t expect a full stock of personal comfort items—deodorant and lotion are still in short supply. Gravity may be missing, but sweat? That’s still in full effect.
Here’s a pro tip from an astronaut I chatted with at a 2024 Houston symposium: “Try wearing the MAG on a long hike. If you can sit in a hot tent for eight hours without leaking, you’re halfway to being ready.”
