Erabaru.net. The astronauts on duty on the International Space Station have to stay there for several months, but the water resources on the space station are very valuable, even urine for recycling. So, how do the astronauts do their laundry?
In fact, there were no washing machines and other laundry equipment, nor was there enough water in the station to wash the astronauts’ clothes. Therefore the astronauts who live there will not do the laundry. All they could do was prepare a few sets of clean clothes, then change into their dirty clothes to deal with.
However, space for movement within the station is very limited, and the spacecraft that takes the astronauts or supplies to the station is not always available, so it is impossible for astronauts to bring a lot of change of clothes. In a situation like this, it became inevitable that astronauts would have to wear the same clothes for a long time.
Fortunately, under conditions of microgravity, astronauts working in space are less laborious than working on Earth, so they are less likely to sweat. Although they also exercise regularly, but in an environment where the temperature and humidity are controlled, sweat and odors from sweat are not too much of a problem.
Therefore, wearing clothes continuously for long periods of time is a natural thing for astronauts on duty on the space station. Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne via the European Space Agency’s (ESA) YouTube channel revealed that one of their clothes is worn for a month, but their socks are changed once a week.
Then, how do they deal with dirty clothes that have been removed? The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website shows that astronauts have several options for dealing with soiled clothing.
1 Turning dirty clothes into “meteors”
The ‘Progress’ spacecraft operated by Roscosmos (formerly the Russian Federation Space Agency) will deliver supplies to the International Space Station, but only a few times a year.
This unmanned spacecraft that cannot be used to return to Earth will carry the garbage (including dirty clothes) accumulated on the station for a period of time after dropping supplies. Later, in the process of returning to Earth, this kind of spacecraft will burn along with its debris when it rubs against the Earth’s atmosphere.
2. Using dirty clothes for farming.
Since there is no soil in space, astronauts will use dirty clothes containing nutrients to grow crops.
3. Feeding bacteria with dirty clothes
This is an option that scientists are still studying and may be one in the future.
Scientists hope to be able to design a system that would allow bacteria to eat up astronauts’ cotton and paper underwear and release methane gas that could be used as a power source for the International Space Station or spacecraft. (sin/yn)
Source: epochtimes
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