Wanted: Repairman to mend broken toilet at space station!

London, May 28 : The crew aboard the international Space Station is having a hard time, what with their lone toilet breaking down.

According to NASA, while one of the crew was using the Russian-made toilet last week, the toilet motor fan stopped working.

Due to this, the liquid waste gathering part of the toilet has been working on-and-off.

However, the solid waste collecting part is functioning normally. The Russian officials do not know the cause of the problem.

The failure has left the crew with almost nowhere to go.

The three-men crew aboard the ISS is using a bag-like collection system that can be connected to the broken toilet, said NASA public affairs officials.

In order to fix the problem, NASA is planning to order an in-orbit plumbing service call when space shuttle Discovery visits next week.

"Like any home anywhere the importance of having a working bathroom is obvious," the Telegraph quoted Allard Beutel, a NASA spokesman, as saying.

Discovery is already set for launch Saturday with a planned docking with the space station on Monday.

Miss Cloutier said NASA officials are considering having some parts flown to Cape Canaveral and placed in the shuttle during its countdown, an unusual and delicate situation.

ANI