The process of washing your clothes, which can be easily accomplished using detergents and washing machines in the world, may seem like an ordinary task. But when it comes to space, keeping your clothes clean 384,400 kilometers from the nearest washing machine or even water is an entirely different process.
As astronauts prepare to return to the Moon, possibly in 2025, with the planned Artemis mission, scientists are searching for the best fabrics to help astronauts not only survive the harsh conditions on the Moon’s surface, but also keep the insides of their new spacesuits clean. During this mission, astronauts and suits will be exposed to extreme temperatures, space radiation and highly corrosive dust.
This dust is a big problem as the seals of the Apollo spacesuits fill with dust outside in just a few hours, and the Artemis team hopes to spend about 2,500 hours on the Moon’s surface in the future. Anyone who’s had sand on their swimsuit on the beach can imagine how abrasive a dust-filled spacesuit can be.
Another problem is preventing microbe growth inside the spacesuit, especially since spacesuits can be shared by crew members.
“Think about keeping your underwear clean; It’s an easy enough job on a daily basis, thanks to detergent, washers and dryers. But in habitats on the Moon or beyond, it may be impractical to consistently wash the interior of the spacesuit,” he said. We needed to find alternative solutions to prevent microbial growth.”
ESA is researching suitable new fabrics for new spacesuits that didn’t exist during the Apollo era. One of these projects, the Austrian-led Biocidal Advanced Coating Technology to Reduce Microbial Activity (BACTeRMA), is looking for ways to inhibit the growth of microbes in the inner linings of clothing, especially astronauts’ underwear.
To this end, they take a “fight fire with fire” approach and examine “secondary metabolites.” These can be defined as compounds produced by microbes, containing antibiotic properties, and helping to protect microbes against different environmental conditions. Well-known anti-microbial materials such as silver and copper will likely tarnish over time and can cause other ailments when placed near astronauts’ skin.
The team created materials with different properties from these secondary metabolites and experimented with processing techniques, such as dyeing fabrics with these bacterial metabolites. While the success of these anti-microbial textiles is vital to spacesuits, it could have wider applications in the future.
“The findings of PExTex and BACTeRMA lay the foundation for future developments in the fields of antimicrobial treatments and the integration of smart textile technologies,” said Gernot Grömer, Director of the Austrian Space Forum. “Moreover, these projects demonstrate the feasibility and importance of developing innovative textiles with special properties. could have broader implications for the industry.”
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