Before humans can colonize Mars, we need to find a sustainable way to do laundry in space. Tide this week inked a deal with NASA to develop new detergent solutions that will hopefully work outside of our planet’s atmosphere. The study, according to the Procter & Gamble laundry brand, could even have potential on-planet implications, like solutions for Earth’s resource and environmental challenges.
Astronauts on the International Space Station currently don’t clean their clothes. Crew members simply wear outfits several times before replacing them with a new set, delivered through resupply shipments. But, as Tide points out, limited cargo capacity will make replenishing clothing a challenge for future deep space exploration. “Without a laundry solution, 160 pounds of clothing per crew member per year are launched to [the] ISS,” a company press release said. “Human roundtrip missions to Mars could be two to three years in length,” suggesting thousands of pounds of clothes over the course of one trip.
It’s easy to take washing clothes for granted when you’ve got two feet firmly on the ground. In space, careful planning around ingredient safety, compatibility with NASA life support systems, and the limited water supply (which must be purified back into a drinkable liquid) must all be taken into account. Thankfully, Tide has a solution. The firm developed a fully degradable detergent, specifically designed for use in space to “solve malodor, cleanliness, and stain removal problems for washable items used during deep space missions, while being suitable for use in a close-loop water system.”
In partnership with the ISS US National Laboratory and SEOPS, teams will first test the stability of cleaning ingredients under microgravity conditions and exposure to radiation levels experienced in space. Stain removal ingredients and performance will eventually be tested onboard the ISS, through experiments with Tide To Go wipes and pens.
“Through private-sector utilization of the space station, companies like P&G can conduct investigations in ways not possible on Earth to develop new consumer products, enhance existing products, and better understand processes that further business models both on the ground and in low-Earth orbit,” Michael Roberts, acting chief scientist for the ISS National Lab, said in a statement. “We look forward to this first investigation of Tide in Space and hope that many more will soon follow.”
Additional research may cover how a combined washing-and-drying unit, utilizing specially formulated detergent, could be integrated into planetary habitats on the Moon or Mars.
“Humanity has reached a pivotal point where on one hand, we’re on the exciting cusp of space colonization, and on the other, facing a critical period where action must be taken now to save the planet we all call home,” Aga Orlik, senior vice president of P&G North America Fabric Care, said. “The collaboration with NASA and the ISS National Lab are particularly exciting because it allows us to push the bounds of resource efficiency to its absolute limit, uncovering learnings with practical applications for both the future of laundry in space and here on Earth.”
