This is what a WC could look like on Mars

Since long-duration exploration missions on the planet March are beginning to be possible, you have to ask yourself the question of how to live there. This is how several prototypes or Martian housing projects have already seen the light of day. And as an extension of this idea, here is how the German brand of bathroom equipment Duravit imagines the Martian toilets. Those expecting ultra-futuristic equipment may be disappointed. These W.-C. of space furiously resemble the suspended models commonly found on earth…

And yet, everything has been thought out to adapt to living conditions on the red planet. As reported by the Dezeen website, the manufacturer has bent on the exercise of designing a small corner that would be comfortable for people called to live on Mars for long-term missions. And as the constraints of the red planet are very different from those of the space shuttle, for example, the result is a much simpler object and close to the toilets that sit enthroned in our bathrooms. Visitors can also discover these Martian toilets in the “Martian house” currently on display in Bristol.

Mars and gravity

First, there is gravity on Mars, which makes things easier and dispenses with the use of sophisticated suction systems. And above all, Duravit claims a search for simplicity and comfort. “When you have to put on a spacesuit to walk outside, it’s important to make everyday things inside the house as comfortable as possible”, says Dezeen Franziska Wülker, Head of Research and Development at Duravit. The installation incorporates a Japanese-style hand shower to clean the buttocks. Indeed, if water should be available on Mars, toilet paper would require transport from Earth.

The equipment is designed to use the most limited quantities of water possible while treating wastewater for reuse while the urine would be used as fertilizer. In addition, an odor extractor must also be installed, since opening a window would be difficult to envisage on Mars… Finally, it should be noted that the surfaces are all entitled to a specific hygienic treatment to reduce the proliferation of bacteria while the illuminated toilet bowl should facilitate nighttime use. On the energy side, it is possible to use solar power but in a limited way because sandstorms on Mars can last for weeks… “That’s why energy-intensive toilet solutions – like incineration toilets that burn faeces – weren’t a suitable option”explains Franziska Wülker.