(Switches flush. Howard: All right, this is an exact duplicate of the Wolowitz Zero-Gravity Human Waste Disposal System as deployed on the International Space Station. Howard: Meatloaf. Howard: That's classified. I'll tell you later. ISS voice: Houston, we'd all like to step outside for a few minutes. It's the juxtaposition of the high-tech nature of space exploration against the banality of a malfunctioning toilet that provides the comic fodder here. Leonard pretends to be a friend and acts like a two-faced bitch, therefore, he is reborn as a banana slug. Leonard: 'Cause he's upset over his situation with Penny and if I have to hear about it again, I'm going to kick him in his ovaries. Leonard: Howard's space toilet. Leonard: I deliberately tried to sabotage Stuart's date with Penny. Leonard: It wasn't bad advice. Leonard: Leonard? Leonard: Well, yeah, Stuart thrives under pressure, that's why he works in a comic book store. Never worked for me. Stuart: Okay, so, you'll give me a call? That's the smell of new comic books. The thing is, before you guys went out, I spoke to him and...
Penny: I said I don't want to talk about it. We gotta find a way, using nothing but this, to reinforce this so the waste material avoids the spinning turbine.
Plan: A: his latest invention; Q: What does Howard celebrate the launch of? A: zero; Q: What gravity does Howard's toilet have? A: a space toilet; Q: What is Howard's invention called? A: new comic books; Q: What did Howard buy his friends to celebrate the launch of his toilet? A: 10 flushes; Q: How many flushes does the toilet have before it bursts? A: Ken Mattingly; Q: What Apollo 13 character did Howard's friends try to emulate? A: a whole night; Q: How long did the guys work to fix the toilet? A: a solution; Q: What did the guys work for a whole night to find? A: meatloaf; Q: What did Howard's mother give him to test the toilet? A: NASA; Q: Who did the ISS astronauts report to that they were going on an unscheduled "spacewalk"? A: the comic book store; Q: Where does Stuart tell Leonard he is having a second date with Penny? A: Stuart; Q: Who tells Leonard that he is having a second date with Penny? A: The next day; Q: When does Leonard apologize to Stuart for giving him bad advice? A: "Leonard; Q: What did Penny accidentally call Stuart? Summary: Howard celebrates the launch of his latest invention, a zero-gravity human-waste disposal system (a space toilet) to be used in the ISS, by buying all of his friends new comic books. However, later Howard discovers he made a mistake that will cause the toilet to fail and burst after 10 flushes, so the guys convene to try and fix it (a la Apollo 13's Ken Mattingly), working for a whole night to find a solution and even testing the toilet with meatloaf from Howard's mother, all thewhile he treats it like it's a classified weapon. At the end of the episode, the ISS astronauts report to NASA that they are all going on an unscheduled "spacewalk", implying that Howard ultimately failed. At the comic book store, Stuart tells Leonard that he is having a second date with Penny and asks for advice. Leonard deliberately avoids Stuart for as long as possible, and finally gives him bad advice. The next day, Leonard feels guilty and goes to apologize to him. Stuart reveals the date went well until they started making out in his car and Penny accidentally called him "Leonard." Leonard is secretly delighted.