What nearly went wrong on Nasa's space mission - and what still could

In the tense final hours before Nasa's astronauts flew into space, a series of technical issues threatened to ground their landmark mission. A faulty toilet and issues involving two safety systems were reported over the radio. Nasa managed to resolve the problems by being "quick on their feet", an official later said. The Artemis II crew are now hurtling around the Earth's orbit, carrying out final tests and checks before they head towards the Moon. Here's what nearly went wrong - and what still could. The crew quickly discovered that even a trip to the Moon comes with very down‑to‑earth plumbing problems. Sensors in the spacecraft's waste‑management system threw up some readings they did not expect, according to flight controllers. Astronaut Christina Koch reportedly acted as a plumber, dismantling parts of the toilet under instruction from mission control. "Happy to report that toilet is go for use," mission control later said over the radio. "We do recommend letting the system get to operating speed before donating fluid". The lack of gravity in space means waste management is a key issue in space travel. Nasa has spent more than $23m (£17.4m) developing the "Universal Waste Man