Developing laundry detergent for space

Space agencies around the world, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), are competing with the goal of manned exploration and base construction on the Moon and Mars. However, living on another planet far away from Earth requires solving various problems. Anyone can think of what to do with oxygen and what to do with food. However, there is also laundry, one of the tasks that happens every day, which is unexpectedly unexpected.

Currently, astronauts who are staying on the International Space Station for a long time are carrying out a routine that allows them to use a washing machine for washing, but spends them wearing the same clothes for several days in orbit without water, changing them to new clothes when a supply ship arrives, and sending waste.

But wearing the same pants for several days can be tough in confined space on the International Space Station. To solve this problem, P&G laundry detergent brand Tide has developed the first laundry detergent for use in space. This detergent works well in a system that repeatedly purifies and uses water, such as the ISS, and separates dust from clothes.

NASA plans to test this detergent on the International Space Station in 2022 under the name of Mission PGTide, and Tide uses a pen-shaped stain remover pen or a wipe in the form of wiping paper to be zero-gravity. We are going to check what effect it will have in space. In addition to detergents, it plans to study the possibility of washing machines and dryers to be used in places where gravity is weak, such as the moon or Mars.

The Moon and Mars are difficult for supply ships to travel to and from like the International Space Station. Therefore, washing will become an unavoidable daily task. If Tide Space Detergent is used, precious water consumption can be reduced and the weight of supplies on supply ships can be reduced. At the very least, the chances of worrying about astronauts waiting for NASA to sort pants on the moon will be reduced.

Technologies that benefit space can also benefit Earth. A detergent that completely decomposes without repeating, such as rinsing, may become an eco-friendly detergent that not only saves water but also reduces waste. Related information can be found here.