How Do Astronauts Wash Their Clothes in Space? Here's the Answer
- Spacenews
There are also the problems of health and comfort
Space station astronauts exercise two hours every day to fight the effects of weightlessness on their bodies.
That quickly leaves their workout clothes sweaty, smelly and stiff. Leland Melvin is a former NASA astronaut and NFL player.
He said that their exercise clothing becomes so unpleasant that they use a new set every week.
"After that, they're deemed toxic,. They like have a life of their own. They're so stiff from all that sweat," said Melvin, who serves as a spokesperson for P&G’s project.
While NASA and the other space station partners have researched ways to lengthen wear time with special antimicrobial clothes, that is not a long-term solution.
In its first experiment, P&G will send up detergent made just for space in December. Scientists will then see how the compounds in the detergent react to six months of weightlessness.
Moreover, next May, they will send stain-removal pens and cloths to the ISS for testing by astronauts.
At the same time, P&G is developing a washer-dryer machine that could operate on the moon or even Mars. It would use small amounts of water and detergent. Such a machine could also be useful in dry places here on Earth.
One of the many design problems is that the washing water would need to be reclaimed for drinking and cooking. This is done now with human liquid waste and sweat on the space station.
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