Early American Astronauts can now Sell Their Space Toothbrushes

Sunita Williams' Toothbrush

During the dawn of human spaceflight astronauts and project managers were more focused on actually putting people into space than they were with tracking the legal ownership status of the souvenirs some of those men decided to take home with them when the job was done.

That, it seems, has turned into a bit of a legal headache over the subsequent decades as aging astronauts seek to sell off, donate or otherwise do what they please with their treasured goods.

But a new law means that “America’s early space pioneers and moon voyagers have now been confirmed as the legal owners of the equipment and spacecraft parts they saved as souvenirs from their missions.”

The new law only applies to things that weren’t really meant to survive the missions, either because they were intended to be left on the Moon or destroyed, or disposables such as toothbrushes, which aren’t likely to be thought of as historical treasures.

In addition, it only applies to relics from space missions that took place from 1961 to 1975.

Buzz Aldrin's Toothbrush

That being said, some of these obscure objects, such as Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin’s toothbrush, have been known to fetch a hefty price at auction. Aldrin’s sold for $18,400 in 2004.

This legislation also throws into the realm of possibility a satirical scenario imagined by The Onion.

NASA ISS Astronaut Sunita Williams Prepares for EVA with a Toothbrush

Astronaut Joseph Acaba helps Sunita Williams with her spacesuit before the longest EVA is undertaken.

Flight Engineer is due to return to earth on the next Progress flight. 

The toothbrush that helped fix Space Station. Suni and Aki took it outside to clean the fouled bolt on the MBSU.

Credit: NASA

NASA ISS Astronaut Sunita Williams: Toothbrush and Main Bus Switching Unit Installed during EVA

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Expedition 32 flight engineer, participates in the mission's third session of extravehicular activity (EVA).

During the six-hour, 28-minute spacewalk, Williams and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide (out of frame), flight engineer, completed the installation of a Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) that was hampered last week by a possible misalignment and damaged threads where a bolt must be placed.

The toothbrush that helped fix Space Station. Suni and Aki took it outside to clean a fouled bolt.

They also installed a camera on the International Space Station's robotic arm, Canadarm2. The thin blue line of Earth's atmosphere and the blackness of space provide the backdrop for the scene.

Credit: NASA

NASA ISS EVA: Astronaut Sunita Williams on Longest Spacewalk

Image Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Expedition 32 flight engineer, appears to touch the bright sun during the mission’s third session of extravehicular activity (EVA) on Sept. 5, 2012.

During the six-hour, 28-minute spacewalk, Williams was accompanied by Japan Aerospace  Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Aki Hoshide (visible in the reflections of Williams’ helmet visor).

They completed the installation of a Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) that was hampered by a possible misalignment and damaged threads where a bolt must be placed.

They also installed a camera on the International Space Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2.

The ISS typically has four MBSUs in place to relay power for its solar arrays to the rest of the station. Failing to have one of these MBSUs in place meant that two of the station’s eight solar arrays were essentially worthless.

That doesn’t mean the integrity of the station would have been compromised if the MBSU hadn’t been fixed, but those aboard certainly would have had to endure access to only 75% of their usual energy allotment.

It appears that the issue plaguing the installation was metal shavings in the MBSU’s receptacles for the bolts.

Using their improved tools, including the toothbrush, and a pressurized can of nitrogen gas, Williams and Hoshide were able to successfully install the unit around four hours into the spacewalk. Not to be deterred, the duo then went on to replace a faulty camera before turning to the airlock.

In addition to being a bit awesome due to its ingenuity, this particular spacewalk also saw Sunita Williams overtake Peggy Whitson as the record holder for most time spent working in the vacuum of space by a female astronaut.

NASA ISS Astronauts EVA: Toothbrush Used for Space Station Fix

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams (left) helps Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide (right) prepare the space station's robotic arm during their spacewalk on Sept. 5, 2012

It took hard work, determination and some MacGyver-esque ingenuity for a pair of spacewalking astronauts to fix a key power system aboard the International Space Station Wednesday (Sept. 5).

NASA spaceflyer Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide spent nearly 6 1/2 hours yesterday outside in the vacuum of space to properly install a pair of bolts that had caused problems for the pair during a previous spacewalk last week.

In addition to their regular spacewalking gear, Williams and Hoshide were armed with some makeshift tools -- including an improvised wire cleaner and a toothbrush -- to help them get the job done.

Williams and Hoshide completed a marathon spacewalk that lasted more than 8 hours, but the astronauts were thwarted by a stubborn bolt and were unable to finish connecting the so-called main bus switching unit (MBSU). The stuck bolt forced NASA to add Wednesday's extra spacewalk.

But, following last week's unsuccessful attempt, flight controllers, engineers and veteran spacewalkers worked around the clock at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to devise a solution to the problem.

Using only the supplies available on the space station, the teams came up with creative new tools for Williams and Hoshide to use to install the MBSU.

One was a modified toothbrush that was used to lubricate the inside of the bolt's housing after debris and metal shavings from inside had been removed.

Another improvised instrument included a cleaning tool that had been made from wires that were bent back to form a brush, explained Kieth Johnson, lead spacewalk director at the Johnson Space Center.

"We knew that we had particles down inside the socket, so they came outside with yet another tool that was developed by the ground team," Johnson told reporters in a post-spacewalk news briefing.

The inventive ideas that led to today's spacewalk success demonstrates how well the teams on the ground and in orbit work together, and shows the dedication of those involved in the agency's space station program, said flight director Ed Van Cise.

"It was really amazing to watch the ingenuity, to watch the flight controllers," Van Cise said. "It was amazing to see it all come together."

And with the MBSU now up and running, mission controllers are now able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

"Looks like you guys just fixed the station," astronaut Jack Fischer radioed to Williams and Hoshide after the MBSU had been installed and powered up. "It's been like living on the set of Apollo 13 the past few days. NASA does the impossible pretty darn well, so congratulations to the whole team."