Reducing Microbial Activity News Today

Suit Up The European Space Agency appears to be preoccupied with what goes on in astronauts' undies — and they've commissioned a study dedicated to fighting microbial crotch goblins. In a press release about the, uh, growing effort, the ESA pointed to an Austria-led project intent on keeping the insides of moonsuits healthy for the […]

Paris (ESA) Jul 28, 2023 - When astronauts return to the Moon they will be bringing along a new generation of spacesuits, designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the lunar surface. But in keeping their human occupants s

Wardrobe malfunctions are never fun. When on Earth, they might be a nuisance or prove somewhat embarrassing. In space however, they could be a matter of life and death. Not to mention, how do you handle, uhm, laundry on the Moon? The Europe

Bacterial compounds could provide antimicrobial protection. A man models an astronaut undergarment — known as a Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment — that was designed for the Space Shuttle/International Space Station Extravehicular Mobility Unit, photographed in 1994. (Image credit: NASA) We can probably all agree that sharing your unwashed underwear with another person isnt ideal. However, for astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS), performing a spacewalk requires th...

European Space Agency (ESA) is looking at ways to keep the LCVG cleaner and more hygienic. Since a fresh-out-of-the-laundry LCVG cannot be provided each time to astronauts on the ISS, the ESA plans to improve the antimicrobial properties in the garments. This will help keep them clean and fresh for longer.

Mysterious News Briefly — May 13, 2021 A new study from North Carolina State University states that greenhouse gas emissions from standing dead trees in wetland forests – commonly referred to as “tree farts” – need to be accounted for when assessing the environmental impact of dead trees, also known as “ghost forests.” Tree farts and ghost forests – how did 10-year-old boys get into NCSU? A veterinary nurse in Pwllheli, North Wales, says she’d never seen anything  like it –...

Yes, it’s true — astronauts share ‘underwear’ when they put on spacesuits to work outside of the International Space Station. This isn’t quite the same type of underwear you’re thinking of, as the astronauts first put on a disposable diaper, then the full-body underwear layer. Still, there are some downsides to this arrangement that the ESA is attempting to address with a new project. The International Space Station — and future space stations that will eventually replace it — ...

How to keep spacesuit ‘underwear’ clean? Spacewalking is a major highlight of any astronaut’s career. But there is a downside: putting on your spacesuit means sharing some previously-worn underlayers. A new ESA study is looking into how best to keep these items clean and hygienic as humans venture on to the Moon and beyond. During the Space Shuttle era, each astronaut was issued with their own ‘External Mobility Unit’, the official term for a spacesuit. But crews aboard the Internatio...