Is There Over Ton Of Astronaut Excrement In Orbit?

Answer 1

No.

Soviet astronauts used to dump it overboard along with other garbage, but manned spacecraft have very low orbits. The debris re-enters the atmosphere and burns up.

I don't think American astronauts have done this, but only because NASA was more PR concious than the Soviets. It doesn't matter one way or the other, since it would burn up long before reaching the ground, but the idea that astronauts are tossing their excrement out the door to fall on unsuspecting Earth just doesn't sound that good.

Answer 2

Not to worry.

As humans excrete, their excretions are either processed into more acceptable forms or lay on the ground and eventually deteriorate and become part of the earth again.

This means, that as water from waste water facilities evaporates and re-enters the atmosphere it eventually falls on you.

As it becomes part of the earth, it is eventually used to create food that you eat.

If it was left in orbit by the astronauts, it would eventually slow down and return to the earth.

There's no escaping it or changing it. So, don't worry about it.

Answer 3

No, they bring it back with them. It is too dangerous to jettison items like this in space. It could meet another space vehicle maoving at, say 3 kilometers a second. Then the s**t would really hit the fan

Answer 4

Can you imagine if the first thing an alien explorer came across was a discarded tampon floating around in outer space? We'd be screwed...

Answer 5

With no propulsion systems it eventually just loses altitude until it burns up upon reentry.

Answer 6

you'd think it woulda fallen and burned after a while.

Answer 7

not a ton, but some

Answer 8

No, if its in outer space, it has no weight.

Answer 9

i have no idea