How do Astronauts Clean Their Clothes in Space?
2021-06-27
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1Have you ever wondered how astronauts clean their clothes in space?
2You may find the answer surprising - they do not.
3They wear their under clothes, and everything else, until they cannot take the dirt and smell anymore.
4Then, they throw them away.
5NASA wants to change that - if not at the International Space Station (ISS), then the moon and Mars.
6This would mean the end to throwing away lots of dirty clothes every year.
7Up to now, they simply had to put them with other waste in old supply ships to burn up in the atmosphere.
8NASA is working with the U.S. company, Procter & Gamble (P&G), to learn how best to clean astronauts' clothes in space.
9They could use the clothes for months or even years, just like on Earth.
10P&G announced Tuesday that it will send Tide detergent and dirt removal experiments to the space station later this year and next year.
11The battle against dirty and sweaty clothes in space has begun.
12It is not a small problem, especially as the U.S. and other countries plan to establish bases on the moon and Mars.
13NASA says rocket storage space is small and costly.
14So, why waste it on new clothes if they could keep their old clothes looking and smelling fresh?
15An astronaut needs 68 kilograms of clothes in space per year.
16Mark Sivik is a chemist specializing in fabric and home care technology for P&G.
17The clothes would use a lot of storage space, especially on a three-year Mars mission, he said.
18There are also the problems of health and comfort.
19Space station astronauts exercise two hours every day to fight the effects of weightlessness on their bodies.
20That quickly leaves their workout clothes sweaty, smelly and stiff. Leland Melvin is a former NASA astronaut and NFL player.
21He says their exercise clothing becomes so unpleasant that they use a new set every week.
22"After that, they're deemed toxic," said Melvin, who serves as a spokesperson for P&G's project.
23"They like have a life of their own. They're so stiff from all that sweat."
24While 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.
25In its first experiment, P&G will send up detergent made just for space in December.
26Scientists will then see how the compounds in the detergent react to six months of weightlessness.
27Next May, they will send stain-removal pens and cloths to the ISS for testing by astronauts.
28At the same time, P&G is developing a washer-dryer machine that could operate on the moon or even Mars.
29It would use small amounts of water and detergent.
30Such a machine could also be useful in dry places here on Earth.
31One of the many design problems is that the washing water would need to be reclaimed for drinking and cooking.
32This is done now with human liquid waste and sweat on the space station.
33"The best solutions come from the most diverse teams," Melvin said, "and how more diverse can you be than Tide and NASA?"
34I'm Jill Robbins.
1Have you ever wondered how astronauts clean their clothes in space? You may find the answer surprising - they do not. 2They wear their under clothes, and everything else, until they cannot take the dirt and smell anymore. Then, they throw them away. 3NASA wants to change that - if not at the International Space Station (ISS), then the moon and Mars. This would mean the end to throwing away lots of dirty clothes every year. Up to now, they simply had to put them with other waste in old supply ships to burn up in the atmosphere. NASA is working with the U.S. company, Procter & Gamble (P&G), to learn how best to clean astronauts' clothes in space. They could use the clothes for months or even years, just like on Earth. 4P&G announced Tuesday that it will send Tide detergent and dirt removal experiments to the space station later this year and next year. The battle against dirty and sweaty clothes in space has begun. 5It is not a small problem, especially as the U.S. and other countries plan to establish bases on the moon and Mars. 6Throwing clothes away is wasteful 7NASA says rocket storage space is small and costly. So, why waste it on new clothes if they could keep their old clothes looking and smelling fresh? An astronaut needs 68 kilograms of clothes in space per year. Mark Sivik is a chemist specializing in fabric and home care technology for P&G. The clothes would use a lot of storage space, especially on a three-year Mars mission, he said. 8There are also the problems of health and comfort. 9Space 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 says their exercise clothing becomes so unpleasant that they use a new set every week. 10"After that, they're deemed toxic," said Melvin, who serves as a spokesperson for P&G's project. "They like have a life of their own. They're so stiff from all that sweat." 11While 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. 12In 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. Next May, they will send stain-removal pens and cloths to the ISS for testing by astronauts. 13At 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. 14One 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. 15"The best solutions come from the most diverse teams," Melvin said, "and how more diverse can you be than Tide and NASA?" 16I'm Jill Robbins. 17Marcia Dunn wrote this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. 18_________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20detergent - n. a powder or liquid that is used to clean clothes or dishes 21sweat - n. to produce a clear liquid from your skin when you are hot or nervous 22fabric - n. woven or knitted material; cloth 23stiff - adj. difficult to bend or move 24deem - v. to think of (someone or something) in a particular way 25toxic - adj. containing poisonous substances 26microbe - n. an extremely small living thing that can only be seen with a microscope 27stain - n. a mark made on a surface or a piece of clothing that is very hard or impossible to remove 28diverse - adj. different from each other 29Have you ever been in a place where it was difficult to clean your clothes? What did you do? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.