Kristi King, wtop.com
WASHINGTON — Six months without a shower? Astronauts living aboard the International Space Station endure that and do the best they can to stay clean.
But their underclothes can get fairly ripe after months without a proper washing. Now, NASA is looking for a washing machine that can be used with limited water, low power and zero gravity.
The UMPQUA research company has been commissioned to come up with a washing machine suitable for space. Popular Science reports the usual protocol is for astronauts to wear undergarments until they can’t stand it anymore, then throw the undies away in a capsule that incinerates in the atmosphere.
Washing clothes in space isn’t impossible right now. A video of Expedition Six commander Ken Bowersox massaging his shorts with a bar of soap in a small bag and blotting them dry shows it can be done. But a washing machine sure would seem easier.
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