Astronauts face many challenges in space, and one awkward issue is laundry. They often pack two small suitcases of clothing and may wear the same items, including underwear, for extended periods. When they can’t use these clothes anymore, they’re sent back to Earth to burn up in the atmosphere. Not exactly comfortable.
However, a new invention might change this. The “laundry gun” uses cold plasma made of helium, air, and water vapor to eliminate bacteria that cause odors. Currently a proof-of-concept, this device projects a plasma beam about the size of a pencil. Gabe Xu, an aerospace engineer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, believes that if the technology is scaled up, it could even sanitize spacesuits and tools for missions to distant locations like Mars.
Xu recently shared this at the Astrobiology Science Conference. He noted that this technology could help maintain astronaut health by keeping clothes clean on a microbial level.
While astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) might not suffer from dirty laundry in the way we would on Earth, they still deal with unique hygiene challenges. The ISS is a controlled, near-sterile environment, but water management is complicated. Elisca Hicks, a NASA crew operations instructor, explained in a podcast that water can create problems, like getting behind equipment and causing mold. Astronauts exercise to stay healthy, but they won’t get as dirty as people do on the ground.
While some might think the current laundry situation is “good enough,” Xu argues for better solutions. For long-term missions, like those to Mars, astronauts might want comfort items like cozy seating or soft sleeping arrangements. Humans shed bacteria and skin cells, and fabrics can harbor microbes. Unlike the metals and plastics on the ISS, clothing can trap these germs. Unlike on Earth, the convenience of opening a window isn’t an option to air out any odors or chemicals in space.
The laundry gun aims to fix this dirty laundry dilemma by providing a low-temperature way to sanitize fabrics. Past experiments showed that cold plasma effectively kills most bacteria, but testing it on fabrics was uncharted territory.
In the latest tests, the team used helium, air, and water vapor to create a room-temperature plasma jet. This jet generates reactive compounds like ozone, which harms bacteria. Xu believes this innovative approach could be crucial for the health of astronauts.
Even so, challenges remain. The current plasma device treats only a small area, and ozone, while effective at killing bacteria, can be dangerous in high concentrations. The team hopes to expand this technology to the size of a soda can and incorporate filtration systems to mitigate the ozone risk.
As humanity aims for longer space missions, addressing health and hygiene will be essential. Xu emphasizes the difficulty of sending humans to Mars for extended periods and the need for various solutions to ensure their well-being.
In conclusion, keeping astronauts healthy during missions is becoming more important as we explore farther and longer. Innovations like the laundry gun could play a vital role in space hygiene, making life a bit easier for those trying to live and work beyond our planet.
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astronaut health,human spaceflight,Plasma physics
