Life in Space Still No Jacuzzi But Plenty Of Wet Towels It's not exactly Elizabeth Arden, but researchers at a Russian institute are working on health and beauty aids -- ways to help space travelers shampoo, shower and exfoliate.
In years past, astronauts and cosmonauts aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, Mir station and NASA's space shuttle have had to rough it, scaling back personal hygiene to the basics of camping out.
Valery Polyakov, who completed a flight that lasted 437 days, used wet towels and found them effective. He even said his skin and hair were in better condition after the flight than before. Bill Shepherd, the first ISS crew commander, also likes wet towels very much.
Researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) believe they have a solution that could make life on the International Space Station (ISS) a bit more like staying at a roadside motel.
"We consider hygienic means as a major psychological comfort provider," said Galina Shumilina, a lead researcher at the IBMP, in an exclusive interview with SPACE.com.
"For this reason the IBMP specialists have been working with their U.S. colleagues for two years trying to develop an integrated hygienic set which will meet both Russian and U.S. requirements to space hygiene."
The inside of a hygienic set developed by the Russian space agency for International Space Station astronauts and cosmonauts.
This is easier said that done.
"Russians and Americans have different approaches to space hygiene," said Anatoly Noskin, IBMP deputy chief designer. "The Russian hygienic means were specially designed for space, while the Americans use for their short-term flights the regular hygienic stuff which can be bought in Peoples Drug stores."
"Besides, all U.S. hygienic means have been developed to be used with water while the Russians try to save as much water for drinking as possible."
The spaceflight experience has proved, however, that Russian approaches to space hygiene developed are widely tolerated. "German and French cosmonauts used our stuff during their long-term flights and were quite happy with it," Shumilina said.
Individual preferences allowed
Still, IBMP specialists intend to satisfy personal requirements of individual crew members.
The Russian space agency, for instance, once accommodated a French cosmonaut who flew on Mir and wanted to use an aftershave cream made with spring mountain water from the French alps.
"Each cosmonaut can take up to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of personal belongings to the station, including his/her favorite hygienic means," said Shumilina.
"The main requirement for such belongings [is] that they present no danger to crew members and the on-board environment."
5,000 skin cells
The peculiarities of life and work in space have a noticeable impact on the human body, researchers have learned.
"People sweat in space more than on Earth," said Valery Morgun, the chief physician at the space agency's Star City training complex for cosmonauts.
Cosmonauts lose about 2 or 3 pounds (1 kilogram) for every six hours of spacewalking, and skin in space regenerates much faster than on Earth.
"A cosmonaut loses up to 3 grams (0.1 ounces) of skin daily as well as about 5,000 cells of epithelium during one change of his/her clothes," Morgun said.
On Earth, a shower would be the answer to all that dead skin, but water is a scarce resource in a spacecraft and on stations. Crew members using a wash basin on Mir were limited to a cup of water for their morning splash on the face.
Water also behaves strangely in space, splitting at times into walnut-sized drops that stick to the skin.
"It was very uncomfortable to take shower in space," Shumilina said. "Water had to be sprayed in the shower cabin and a cosmonaut had to breathe through a special tube put through the wall of the cabin to avoid choking."
Also, preparing the cabin for showers took as long as bathing itself. For this reason, the crew members of the seventh main mission to Mir (1990) threw the shower cabin into space.
Throw in the towel
Rather than putting personal hygiene on hold, Mir crew members turned to wet towels and napkins treated with a special disinfecting lotion to clean themselves.
Wet towels provided by the Russian space agency for life aboard Mir and Soyuz spacecraft.
"The effect was better than expected," said Shumilina. "Valery Polyakov, who completed a flight that lasted 437 days, used wet towels and found them effective. He even said his skin and hair were in better condition after the flight than before. Bill Shepherd, the first ISS crew commander, also likes wet towels very much."
Wet towels and treated napkins have already been delivered to the ISS segments currently in orbit around Earth. IBMP researchers decided on fabric towels as paper towels can introduce dust into the station's air and clog life-support systems.
Cleaning teeth also is important in space.
Chewing gum provided by the Russian space agency for life aboard Mir and Soyuz spacecraft.
"Salivation in weightlessness becomes less intensive and saliva more concentrated," said Morgun. "This increases the risk of dental tartar." To avoid this, cosmonauts chew a lot of gum in space and massage their gums with a rubber finger sleeve after each meal .
What's that smell?
Troublesome aromas in human spaceflight may have more to do with the smells of products brought on board than body odor.
"Since people in the weightlessness and closed volume become oversensitive to smells, there will be no perfume and other alcohol-based hygienic means in space, as well as nothing what could generate a strong smell inside the station," Shumilina said. "Towels and napkins used aboard ISS will have a light mixed odor of almond and green apples, and toothpaste will have a menthol taste."
Russian space shampoo called "Aelita" is alcohol-free, stimulates the growth of hair and miraculously prevents dandruff. It is applied with a napkin and rubbed into hair.
There is another reason to avoid products with alcohol into orbit. "Water in space is recycled from the stations air humidity," said Anatoly Noskin, IBMP deputy chief designer. "If this humidity contains alcohol, the regenerated product will be pure vodka, not a water."
What about the women?
Female cosmonauts are a point of special care and concern for the IBMP hygiene specialists.
"A woman is a very delicate human being, and for this reason we will try to do everything possible so that she may feel herself a woman on board the station," said Shumilina.
"We will provide women with hygienic lipstick, lip balms and face powder. They will also be allowed to take some of their personal cosmetics into space which will make them more attractive in mens eyes."
Somewhat like comfort stations
IBMP researchers plan to package most of the toiletries for International Space Station crews in hygienic sets packed in compact portfolio-like bags.
A "Comfort" hygienic set produced by the Russian space agency for cosmonauts.
Such sets, called "Comfort," include toothbrushes, razors, scissors, combs, pre-shave and aftershave lotions, toothpicks, steel mirrors and other items. Each bag, weighing about 2 pounds (1.1 kilograms), has Velcro pads, which make the bag easy to attach it to the walls of the station.
There are three types of Comfort bags. Comfort 1 has been developed for transport spacecraft, taking crews from the ground to a space station. It includes hygienic means for three crew members. Comfort 2 is a basic individual hygienic set, and Comfort 3 contains reserve hygienic means.
Towels, napkins, lotions, toothpaste and shampoo are expendable hygienic means. The overall weight of such means consumed daily by one crewmember is about 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram).
The inside of a "Comfort" bag.
"All the things for personal hygiene developed for use in space can easily find commercial application on Earth," said Shumilina. "Hospitals, tourists, campers, boaters will find these things necessary for their activities and very comfortable to use."
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