There's something special about the bathroom at the MDRS: it smells better after it's used to its full extent than it did before - not from the help of air fresheners, or some miracle of science that has rid malodorous offenses from the repertoire of all social nuisances; no, the bathroom at MDRS could just not smell any worse.

At first glance, one might think, "of course it does; it's where you $#&%," but the real intrigue comes from knowing how the MDRS water system works. Simulating the Mars desert, conservation of water is a major issue, so an elaborate water system at MDRS makes the most efficient use of our water supply. First, clean water is fed through the faucets for our use; then the used water, such as dishwater, is channeled to the GreenHab for "cleansing."

The first time I stepped into the GreenHab - a greenhouse in case you're not sure - I thought I had found a smell worse than a Mexican restaurant's bathroom on the night of two-for-one bean burritos (I had not yet visited the MDRS bathroom). However since our rotation began, our biologist Meryl Mims has made it nearly tolerable to be within nose shot of the GreenHab. I say 'nearly' because there are some days it smells like real soil in there, but then there are other days when it smells like someone soiled themselves in there. It's very much a battle against biology that has not yet been fully resolved, but that should give you a hint of the GreenHab's role in the olfactory delights that abound at MDRS.

Now, on to the mystery bathroom: the "cleansed" water is then channeled back to the Habitat from the GreenHab for use as the toilet water; this water is the source of the unruly stench that haunts our dreams, but it is an efficient use of water.

Issues like the water supply are going to be crucial to future missions because any water that's used has got to be carried along - and anyone knows that when traveling far, the rule of thumb is to travel light. Making the most efficient use of a water supply is going to be a major obstacle for the exploration of Mars, but the benefits of solving such a problem would be monumental for humanity in space and on Earth. So contrary to popular belief, the problem isn't when "the $#&* hits the fan," but rather when it hits the can.

Jason Sherwin, PAO
MDRS Crew 47