Pooping is actually quite a complex process. On Earth, gravity is what makes it all possible. But in space, you really don’t have that luxury.

On early spaceflights, astronauts would use, according to MSNBC, “bags with sticky openings” that would catch an astronaut’s floating fecal matter. Today, astronauts use a complex contraption that uses a series of fans to make up for the lack of gravity.

However, MSNBC is reporting that the astronauts aboard the International Space Station are having a problem with the fans in the toliet. Apparently, they’ve just stopped working. And while NASA tried to give the astronauts some fixes, they don’t appear to be working either. There is a temporary toliet in their transport ship, but — as it was only intented for quick trips — it has a limited capacity. It looks like they’re going to have to start crossing their legs or start using those old-fashioned bags.

[via MSNBC, photo via Flickr]