There is a question that most people do not think to ask themselves:how do the astronauts on board the ISS do their laundry? In reality, when it is necessary to change clothes, dirty clothes are simply thrown away, in the absence of a washing machine. NASA is therefore currently looking for a viable way to do laundry on the station.
Astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) are often considered true heroes . They perform perilous spacewalks and conduct many scientific experiments. Nevertheless, they remain human and therefore have basic needs like everyone else. Perhaps the funniest question about them is about the toilet. In 2020, a 9-year-old child won NASA's Lunar Loo Challenge competition with a surprising concept. It was a device fitted to the suit astronauts, allowing them to carry it with them when doing their business.
Perhaps the second funniest question is the dirty laundry question. The fact is that there is no washing system on board from the ISS. Thus, astronauts wear their clothes until they smell bad before throwing them in a trash can. You should know that if the classic outfits have a longevity of between three and six months, the sports outfits are abandoned after two weeks.
As ABC News explains in a June 23, 2021 article, NASA has decided to take matters into its own hands. The American agency has sealed a partnership with Procter &Gamble (P&G) with a very specific objective:to find a way to wash and reuse consumer goods routine of astronauts, including clothing.
You should know that the management of dirty laundry is a real problem. Indeed, astronauts need approximately 68 kg of clothing per year . However, these clothes must be stored. And unfortunately, every square centimeter of the station is precious in terms of space, a place whose layout is necessarily optimized to the maximum. As for the possible future presence of a washing machine on board, the question of space arises just as much, in addition to that of the large quantity of water required to its operation. In addition, it should be remembered that NASA and other space agencies ultimately want to set up bases on the Moon or even on Mars. Thus, this question of dirty laundry will have to find an answer in the fairly near future.
The first step of the partnership between NASA and P&G will be the shipment of detergents “Tide” on the ISS. These products, specially designed for use in space, will be tested for six months in order to understand their behavior on board. Then it will be the turn of wipes and stain remover pens. In parallel with sending these objects and cleaning products to the station, P&G is also considering the design of the very first washing machine in space . For the moment, the researchers are thinking of a device that uses both very little water and cleaning product. In addition, they are working on a concept where the washing water could be recovered, recycled and reused.
