They have been up there for a long time. Months on end in some situations.
So here is my big question. Do astronauts do laundry in space?
I imagine all of life’s simplest chores become a very delicate matter on the International Space Station. And those astronauts face lots of challenges in their work up there. But I would think that this includes what to do with dirty underwear.
I mean, it must be very hard to maintain the kind of normalcy found in terrestrial life when you’re in outer space. The food is different. The environment is extremely challenging. Even relieving yourself becomes a logistical nightmare.
But what about doing laundry? So, how do astronauts get their clothes clean during missions?
Here is the truth. And you can call all of this a dirty little secret.
They don’t do laundry. Instead, worn clothes get burned.
When astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), shuttle missions, or theoretical expeditions to the moon or Mars get their clothes dirty, they can do one of two things. They can keep wearing them until they get too offensive to tolerate. Blech. Or. They can throw them away.
The logistics of cleaning clothes in a washing machine have proven too tricky up there. Having enough space is one challenge. But virtually all water, including sweat and urine, is recycled. But supplying water to launder filthy clothes presents a design challenge. It is one thing on the agency’s to-do list that they have yet to resolve.
Instead, NASA typically equips astronauts with a vacuum-sealed wardrobe that can be worn for a few days and then discarded twice weekly. The dirty clothing is then stored in a cargo container. And then it is left to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. For workers on the ISS, this can mean using and then destroying up to 160 pounds of clothing per year.
That’s a lot of laundry.
One thing is for sure. I’d never last up there. I change my clothes a lot.
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“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” — Neil Armstrong
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“Across the sea of space, the stars are other suns.” — Carl Sagan
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“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson
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