Astronauts may soon wash clothes in space: Chinese team reveals compact, water-saving washer
Dirty laundry is one of spaceflight’s most overlooked challenges. Because water is precious and heavy to launch, astronauts typically wear garments until they’re too soiled, then load them onto cargo craft that burn up during reentry. A new concept from the China Astronaut Research and Training Center could change that equation—and dramatically cut the clothing mass sent to orbit.
The team has designed a compact, detergent-free washing machine that cleans with an ultra-fine water mist and ozone inside a sealed chamber. Detailed in the Chinese Journal of Space Science, the cube-shaped unit is slightly larger than a suitcase, weighs about 12 kilograms (around 26 pounds), and runs 30-minute cycles—promising a practical way to refresh clothing in microgravity without wasting water or releasing detergents into a closed life-support system.
How the space washer works
– Uses only about 400 milliliters of water per cycle, sprayed as an ultra-fine mist to thoroughly wet fabrics without free-floating droplets.
– Generates ozone with ultraviolet light to sterilize garments inside the chamber.
– Finishes with heated air, breaking down residual ozone while drying clothes simultaneously.
In simulations, the process achieved a 99.9% sterilization rate, with garments deemed safe to wear for up to five additional uses. According to the researchers, adopting the system on missions could reduce the total clothing mass launched to space by more than 60%, freeing up valuable payload for science equipment, supplies, and life-support hardware.
Why it matters for space stations and deep-space missions
– Water efficiency: Minimizes water consumption and avoids detergent-based wastewater—both critical in closed-loop environments.
– Cleaner cabin environment: Ozone-based sterilization reduces odors and microbial growth without introducing new chemicals, and it breaks down safely during the drying phase.
– Logistics and cost savings: Cutting clothing mass reduces resupply needs and launch costs, a major advantage for longer missions or platforms far from Earth.
What’s next
The researchers’ next step is to build and test a working prototype. If successful, the technology could find its way onto the Tiangong space station and future long-duration missions, where sustainable life-support solutions—like an orbital washing machine—can make a significant difference in comfort, hygiene, and mission efficiency.
Key specs at a glance
– Form factor: Cube, slightly larger than a suitcase
– Weight: About 12 kg (26 lbs)
– Cycle time: Approximately 30 minutes
– Water use: ~400 mL per cycle
– Cleaning method: Ultra-fine mist + UV-generated ozone sterilization + heated-air drying and ozone breakdown
– Results in simulation: 99.9% sterilization; garments reusable for up to five wears
– Potential impact: Over 60% reduction in clothing mass launched for missions
Space laundry may not sound glamorous, but it’s the kind of practical innovation that enables longer, cleaner, and more sustainable human stays in orbit—and eventually, beyond.
