The Artemis II crew is facing a critical issue unrelated to their mission. While the spacecraft’s voyage back to Earth following a historic trip around the Moon has been smooth, the Orion capsule’s USD 23 million Universal Waste Management System, designed to discharge wastewater into space, has developed a blockage.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officials believe a chemical reaction in the urine treatment system is generating debris that is blocking a filter, news agency AFP reported.