From: jeff.findley@ugs.nojunk.com   
      
    wrote in message   
   news:1131389318.207904.209400@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...   
   > > If there was an emergency in space and you had to wear your space suit   
   for a   
   > > week, where would all the shit and piss go? What if you puked in your   
   space   
   > > suite?   
   >   
   > If you're referring to existing space suits, and if you mean the suit   
   > absolutely cannot be removed or opened at all during the week, the   
   > answers are:   
   >   
   > 1) The urine will overflow the urine collection device and end up   
   > everywhere in the suit. Space suits aren't tight-fitting.   
   > 2) The crap will squish where ever it gets squished to. Brace for   
   > diaper rash.   
   > 3) The puke is there to stay, like the other stuff.   
   >   
   > There are several other issues for modern space suits when they're worn   
   > for a week:   
   >   
   > 1) They don't have a week's air supply   
      
   They don't have to when they're attached to the ship's air supply. Apollo   
   suits had umbilicals for this purpose. The only time they used the portable   
   life support system (i.e. the backpacks) was for lunar EVA's. All other   
   Apollo EVA's, including Skylab, used umbilicals. Most (all?) Gemini EVA's   
   didn't use backpacks either, except for the Gemini EVA which was to include   
   testing of a manned maneuvering unit (which was cancelled due to overheating   
   of the astronaut during EVA).   
      
   > 2) They don't have a week's coolant supply (modern suits are cooled   
   > with sublimating water)   
      
   Cooling water can also be supplied via umbilical. Again, see Apollo suits.   
      
   > 3) They don't have much of a water supply for the astronaut (shuttle   
   > EMU suits offer 21 and 32-ounce water bags), and no food supply.   
      
   I'd imagine that the suits used in the CEV will need umbilical attachments   
   to handle just such a contingency. It would be easy enough to provide a   
   drinking water supply through the umbilical. Since you've got air and   
   cooling water connections anyway, what's one more connection?   
      
   Jeff   
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