05. How do we dispose of garbage and other waste on board? How is it collected and stored? Is trash taken back to Earth? How much could a trash load weigh? (A K2S Question)

From The Space Library

Much of the garbage and waste on board the Space Shuttle is stored in large bags or stowage containers and returned to Earth with the Shuttle at the end of the mission. For the ISS re-supply missions, much of the ISS garbage and waste is stored in bags or stowage containers and placed in the multi payload logistics module (MPLM) for return to Earth at the end of the mission. The MPLM is used to bring supplies and science racks to the Station. Waste products returning to Earth can weigh several tons. Another way to get rid of some of the trash on the Space Station is to use the Russian Progress re-supply capsules. These unmanned Progress re-supply missions bring up supplies for the crew. Once all the new stuff is taken on board the ISS, these capsules are refilled with trash by the astronauts and then sent overboard. Their fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere burns everything up.

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Answer provided by Russell Romanella & George Veaudry

Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer

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