The end of the toilet crisis on the International Space Station is in site after the Space Shuttle Discovery successfully lifted off yesterday with essential spares.

The shuttle is carrying a huge scientific laboratory along with vital parts for the Space Station toilet which has been malfunctioning for over a week.

Astronauts have been forced to use the facilities in the emergency capsule, which is getting close to overload.

The crucial part for the toilet, a pump and fan mechanism that draws liquid waste into collections chambers, has been sourced from Russia.

It is from a different batch to that supplied originally and Nasa hopes that the malfunction will not reoccur.

However, the astronauts will have to hold on a little while longer after problems with the launch of the Shuttle.

Five pieces of foam from the booster fell off at launch and the Shuttle is now being examined for damage to the heat resistant tiles on its belly before it docks with the Space Station.

The 14-day mission will deploy the Japanese-built Kibo laboratory, the largest module ever carried into orbit by the Shuttle.

The laboratory includes a section that is open to space, allowing experiments to be performed in a vacuum using an external robot arm.