Skylab had a shower. The water was released from the top and sucked out the bottom via air flow.
ISS doesn’t have a shower. The crew essentially sponge bathe using washcloths and a squirt gun. There was supposed to be a shower/bathing station in the Transhab module, but that module got deleted, during budget cuts.
Ernest W. Adams
Game design consultant, author and professor
59w ago
At this point, they don’t. Previous spacecraft have had a shower, which used plastic sheeting to keep the water corralled and suction hoses to drain it, but this proved to be too awkward. Aboard the International Space Station they clean themselves with disposable baby wipes and use a special waterless shampoo in their hair. This presents no risk of something breaking down and the shower becoming unavailable.
C Stuart Hardwick
Award-Winning Scifi Author
106w ago
On the ISS (and formerly on the Space Shuttle) space travelers use wipes–what amounts to a sponge bath taken in a privacy cubical. Because water likes to stick to itself, ISS crew can wash their hair simply by squirting water onto the scalp and working it back through the hair with their fingers before towling. A “leave-in” shampoo is used because there is no effective way to rinse.
The American Skylab space station launched in the wake of Apollo had a shower, and it was highly effective and appreciated by crews–but took a lot of space.
Lingxue Helium
115w ago
No, they don’t take a bath.
According to Scott Kelly who goes to space for a year, they use sponge bath and wet towel. Because water in space is really rare. They spend a lot of time using urine processor to get water every day, and bathing takes up too much water. In space many daily activities are limited, astronauts have to adapt to these changes.
If you have further questions about that, here I recommend a website: 7 Things That Happen When You Go To Space
Ayush Sharma
former Expert at GL Hub at Uber
22w ago
The most difficult part is when astronauts are working outside their craft in a spacesuit. Spacesuits are fitted with diapers so that astronauts can work outside for long hours (especially during spacewalks).
The rest of the time, though, it’s still a bit complicated.
First of all, toilets have various restrains (foot loops, thigh restraints, etc.) so that astronauts will not float away when using it. Also, due to weightlessness, the toilets rely on air and vacuum pump which creates suction to remove the waste. When urinating, astronauts use a large tube that is connected to the bottom front of the toilet. This tube also has air circulating through it carrying the urine to a holding tank. Anatomically correct urine funnel adapters are attached to this tube so that both men and women can use the same toilet.
The space station has a full body shower unit. When astronauts want to take a shower, they step into a cylindrical shower stall and close the door. They then get themselves wet and wash up just like you would on Earth. However, due to weightlessness, the water droplets and soap don’t flow downwards into a drain, they float about. Astronauts use a suction device to get rid of the waste water.
Doug Garnett
Agency Owner & Author
205w ago
Robert Frost knows, of course, best on ISS. For more details on showering and other space fun, I found the book “Packing for Mars” quite an…interesting read. Although, I eventually wasn’t certain I needed more obsession with bodily functions in space. 🙂
That said, I don’t know where the author has exaggerated or focused to the point of leaving the truth…and there could be a bit of that. But it’s a fun read regardless.
Akshay Sankar
studied at Kalasalingam University
173w ago
Gaurav Ahuja
Seeking direction of life.
117w ago
Staying clean takes more work in space. In space, the astronauts do not have a bathroom as we have at home. But, they do have their own toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, brushes, and shavers. These are kept in a Personal Hygiene Kit.
Astronauts use toothpaste and toothbrushes just like yours. There is no sink like yours on the Space Shuttle, though. Astronauts have to spit into a washcloth.
People take baths a different way in space, too. Astronauts use special kinds of soap and shampoo. These soaps do not need water to rinse. Astronauts must use them carefully. They do not let the soap bubbles go all over the place. After washing, they use a towel to dry off. They do not rinse. These special soaps and shampoos were made for hospitals. Patients who cannot get in the water use these soaps.
They have a bath (kinda) in these cylinders which are covered with plastic all around to prevent the water from floating away when they rinse themselves. They apply the soaps and then spray themselves with water which they then wipe using a cloth and the remaining water is sucked out using a vaccum hose. Heres a pic of one such cylinder.
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