Researchers have developed a fully degradable detergent

Researchers at Procter & Gamble, in collaboration with NASA, have developed a fully degradable detergent that cleans clothing without wasting water. Over the next ten years, they will test Tide fabric care products on the International Space Station and on missions to the Moon and Mars. The moons or even the years astronauts spend off Earth mean that their spacesuits and clothes can smell and get dirty. Clothing must be put on several times before being thrown into the atmosphere with other waste or sent back to Earth as waste. One crew member receives 160 kilograms of clothing per year via supply shipments. "Keeping the universe clean is actually an extremely difficult task. To keep fit, astronauts have to train for a few hours every day, ”explains Shailesh Jejurikar, P&G's executive director of the fabric and home care division, for CNBC. "And if you exercise for two to three hours a day, you'll sweat, so there's a problem with cleaning and washing clothes," he adds. However, washing or cleaning is very difficult, because gravity is constantly changing based on where the astronauts are, and it is also necessary to make good use of every available drop of water. Jejurikar said NASA approached P&G in an effort to address the cleanup problems facing astronauts in space. According to NASA documents, the giant producing consumer goods has concluded a Space Act Agreement with the space agency since August. The value of this partnership is estimated at more than $ 111,000 and is non-refundable, so each party bears the cost of its participation.