Humans have been living in space for years, but has taken endless research and planning to make this possible. All we take for granted on the surface of the planet, where we have gravity and resources to welcome our Caprice, must be designed to work in space. Scientists have not yet solved any problem necessary to make life in space for long periods at ease for astronauts and affordable for governments and companies that may arise the invoice.
One of the biggest problems of astronauts meet is something we do not think twice on earth: wash clothes. It’s because they do not wash any of their clothes. They wear shirts and pants and socks repeatedly until the regulation indicates that they should be exchanged for new, and dirty are returned to the planet. They receive fresh clothes with each replenishment trip, which is difficult to plan a longer mission. This is where the tide wants to help, like Procter & Gamble associates with NASA to offer a technology allowing astronauts to wash their clothes in space.
The main reason that astronauts do not wash their clothes in space concern the water supply. The International Space Station (ISS) recycles all its water and washing clothing is not part of the water budget.
Yet, astronaut clothes are dirty. The inhabitants of the spatial station must exercise two hours each day to fight against the effects of weightlessness of the muscles and bones. They then sweat into their clothes. Part of the water is recovered by evaporation, but the clothes will become sensual and stiff. An astronaut must change t-shirts, shorts and socks once a week, Leland Melvin tells the associated press.
“After that, they are considered toxic,” said the former Astronaut player of NASA and NFL. “They like to have a clean life. They are so stiff with all that sweat. “Melvin will serve as a spokesperson for the project.
An astronaut will require 150 pounds (68 kg) clothes in space every year. It is the space on the cargo of rockets that can be used for other supplies if astronauts could wash their clothes. In addition, these are clothes that are donated in the cargo that burn in the atmosphere during reintegrated, so they will not even be reused in future missions.
The problem is even more serious when it comes to longer missions in space like those of NASA and others plan for March and the Moon. This is one thing to ship regularly from the fresh cargo to the ISS and another to have to replenish astronauts on a moon base or those on the way to March.
A solution uses antimicrobial clothing to prolong the wear of objects, but it is not a permanent solution. That’s why P & G and NASA will work together to develop better clothing cleaning solutions for space.
Initially, P & G will ship the tailor-made detergent for space so that scientists can determine how enzymes react to six months of weightlessness. In May, stain pens and wipes will be delivered for testing.
In addition to the created tide products for ISS, P & G will also develop a dryer that could operate on the moon or March. The device would use minimum amounts of water and detergent, and water should be recovered for other uses, including alcohol and cooking consumption. The same thing happens with urine and perspiration right now. Such a P & G tumble dryer would be useful in more arid regions of the earth where water supply is a problem, but without the recovery characteristic.