The Development of the Human Waste Collection Assembly for HERMES

The paper describes the development of a toilet system, the so called Human Waste Collection Assembly (HWCA) for use in the HERMES spaceplane. The basic concept, which relies on the forced air method for separation of the waste material from the human body and on a subsequent mechanical compaction process, is presented, and the specific problems encountered and still to be foreseen in the development program are highlighted. The basic concept has been optimized with respect to its implementation in the HERMES spaceplane, meeting the stringent envelope requirements on-board. Critical development issues have been identified and are now under investigation by breadboarding.