Doing laundry in space: Nasa taps P&G to create detergent for astronauts

Ever wondered how astronauts aboard the Internati­onal Space Station do their laundry?
 
Well, they don't, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) is working hard to solve what is one of the most thorny tasks in space — washing clothes.
 
The space agency is planning to conduct a series of experiments using specially designed detergents from Procter and Gamble to find a long-term solution to the problem, the US consumer goods giant said on Tuesday.
 

The vital nature of water on space missions has meant that astronauts have simply jettisoned used clothes, happy in the knowledge they will disintegrate as they re-enter the atmosphere.

 
As a result, Nasa sends 160 pounds of clothing per cre­w member to the Inter­national Space Station per year.
 
Labelled Nasa Tide after P&G’s main washing powder, the first tests on the new detergent to evaluate the effects of micro-gravity and radiation will take place on a cargo flight to the ISS next year and, subsequently, in the space station itself.