When we think of astronauts floating in space, we imagine high-tech suits, breathtaking views of Earth, and brilliant scientific minds conducting groundbreaking research. But behind the glamour of space exploration lies a strange and lesser-known truth — a question that seems absurd at first glance:

Why do astronauts wear condoms in space?

The answer is real. It’s weird. And once you know it, you’ll never look at a space suit the same way again.

🚀 The Hidden Struggles of Space Travel

Space is the most hostile environment humans have ever tried to survive in. There’s no air, no gravity, no bathrooms. And yet, astronauts spend hours — even days — trapped inside bulky suits with no way to remove them.

So what happens when nature calls at 300 kilometers above the Earth?

Enter NASA’s most awkward invention:
The Urine Collection Device, nicknamed… the space condom.

🩲 A Glorified Condom with a Tube

During the Apollo missions and beyond, male astronauts wore sheath-like devices that looked almost exactly like condoms. But they weren’t for pleasure. These sheaths were designed to catch urine during long spacewalks (EVAs) when astronauts couldn’t take off their suits to use a bathroom.

These devices were connected to tubing that funneled the urine into a bag strapped to the astronaut’s leg.

Elegant? No.
Effective? Mostly.

But there was a problem NASA didn’t expect…

📏 The Ego Problem NASA Had to Solve

The urine collection sheaths came in three sizes:

Small

Medium

Large

Guess which one almost every astronaut chose?

Large.
Even when it didn’t fit.

Why?
Because even in the harsh vacuum of space, male ego remained alive and well.

As a result, the ill-fitting sheaths would often leak or slip off — a nightmare inside a multi-million dollar space suit. NASA had to rethink its approach.

Their solution? Change the names.

The new sizes were:

Large

Extra Large

Unbelievable

Yes, you read that right.

💩 Pee, Poop, and the Harsh Truth

For urine, the condom system worked — if astronauts wore the right size.

But for defecation? The early days were far worse.
Astronauts used plastic bags taped to their behinds, then had to manually knead the waste to mix in germ-killing chemicals.

It was so unpleasant, many astronauts would stop eating for hours before launch or EVA just to avoid using the system.

Modern space suits now come with Maximum Absorbency Garments (MAGs) — basically, high-tech adult diapers. These are used by both male and female astronauts, especially during launch, landing, or long EVAs.

Still, for urination in a suit, the condom-like device remains a key component — though it’s slowly being replaced by better technologies.

👩‍🚀 What About Female Astronauts?

Women didn’t fly in space until the 1980s, so early systems were designed entirely for men.

Female astronauts use diapers (MAGs) or custom-made suction devices that allow them to urinate hygienically. These systems are now integrated into the Waste Collection and Transfer Assembly on the International Space Station.

But even today, urination in space is still a challenge, and engineers continue to innovate — sometimes with hilarious consequences.

🤯 The Truth NASA Doesn’t Advertise

No one at NASA brags about the “space condom.”
You won’t see it on a brochure or tour.

But it’s a real, essential part of space exploration — a reminder that even the most advanced missions are still ruled by basic human needs.

Without that weird little sheath, astronauts might literally be swimming in disaster.

🧠 Final Thought: A Glimpse Behind the Helmet

The next time you see an astronaut floating majestically in space, remember this:
Behind the suit, behind the science, behind the history — is a human being trying desperately not to pee their pants.

And sometimes, the only thing standing between them and disaster…

Is a very well-fitted space condom

When they do not have sex in space, then why do astronauts wear condoms while going into space? You will be surprised to know the reason.

Astronauts Wear Condoms In Space: Do you know why astronauts wear condoms before going into space? After all, what is the use of a condom in space? Let us tell you about this. Space, astronauts, walking in space may all sound very glamorous, but the actual difficulty is known only to those who have spent a few days in space. Only those people understand well what one has to do to survive at such a height where gravity does not work. Without gravity in space, astronauts are not able to do many things that they can easily do on earth. Even eating comfortably, sleeping and walking are very difficult. But do you know why astronauts wear condoms while going into space? You too were surprised to hear this, right? Let us know about this.

Why is condom used?

Whenever space is talked about, high-tech suits and floating astronauts come to mind. But have you ever wondered how space travelers go to the toilet? This is normal on the ground, but there is no gravity in space, so it is a difficult problem there. Rusty Schweikart, a former NASA astronaut, revealed during an interview that in the olden days, a condom-like device was used to urinate in space. Astronauts used this device on their penis and it was connected to a urine storage system through a tube.

How does a condom work in space?

At that time, that system helped in collecting urine in microgravity. But there were many problems with this condom system. Sometimes it did not fit all the astronauts. Actually, the structure of all humans is not the same, so many times this system would leak and be very inconvenient. Then later NASA, understanding this problem, kept three size options, small, large and medium. Whenever an astronaut got the option of choosing a side, he always chose the large size, because it was related to ‘male ego’.

Now the system has become advanced

Keeping in mind the ‘male ego’, the names of the sizes were changed, small was named large, medium was named extra large and big was named hero, so that no one feels embarrassed. But now the system has become more advanced and in today’s modern machines, such devices and unisex suits are used. These work for both male and female astronauts. Every small and big thing in space also requires planning.