Got some spare urine?

Most of us don't concern ourselves as to what happens to our urine once its deposited into the toilet bowl. We flush and forget about the end result. NASA, however, would like to share some and it's all in the name of science.


"A NASA contractor is seeking urine from space-program workers to test the toilets on the Orion space capsule.

Space program contractor Hamilton Sundstrand is seeking urine from workers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as part of its work on the new Orion space capsule that eventually would take astronauts to the moon, according to an internal memo posted on the Web site Nasawatch.com. The need is voluminous: 30 liters a day, which translates into nearly 8 gallons. Even on weekends."

Seems that NASA itself collects urine samples from workers to help design better space toilets.

The Connecticut-based company building the Orion toilet needs the large volume of urine (about the daily output of 30 people) to work on urine acidity problems, said spokesman Leo Makowski.
The memo seeking daily contributions from July 21 to July 31 was not meant to go public, he said.

So I'm thinking here: since this has gone public and there are people reading this that might want to help out - in the name of scientific progress of course - one wonders how they would go about doing it...donating their urine. Would they say...fill up a cup, wrap it up in a box and send it by mail in care of NASA? A typical letter from a donator would probably include something to the effect:

Dear NASA and to whom-this-may-concern,

Please find my donation of one cup of urine to be used towards your on-going research. As a person interested in space-related issues, it's the least I can do.

Bon voyage,

I.M. Lazee
Chair Tester

Also, do "contributors" receive some type of acknowledgement:

"Dear DOF - Donator of Urine,

We would like to thank you for your generous gift of urine. Your contribution was instrumental on (insert date) whereby it was used for scientific research towards the pressing issue of what to do with stored urine on the moon. As an aside we always accept multiple donations if you feel so moved."

Yours truly,

I.C. Pee

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/07/16/nasa.urine.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview