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Astronauts could stop burning underwear every three days in space in a move that could revolutionize washing on Earth.
NASA, the American space agency, has signed an agreement with consumer goods company Procter and Gamble to develop the first laundry detergent for washing clothes in space, according to a New Scientist report.
No washing machines have been developed for use in zero gravity, and astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) currently wear their clothes “as long as it is tolerable for the crew based on the smell and scab,” according to a NASA report. of 2013.
This is typically three days for underwear and one or two weeks for other items. After this point they are returned to Earth to be demolished or ejected into space to burn in the atmosphere.
The Space Agreement Act, signed in August, will see the company develop systems for cleaning clothes on the station that will reportedly use little or no water and could even take advantage of the vacuum of space.
The deal says it “will provide additional benefits to humanity,” suggesting that “low toxic” detergents or reduced water use could have applications on our planet.
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