SPACE LAUNDRY CLEANSING AGENT AND FILTER DEVELOPMENT

THE BASELINE DESIGN OF NASA'S SPACE STATION INCLUDES A CLOTHES LAUNDRY FACILITY. A SIGNIFICANT TASK THAT HAS NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CLEANSING AGENT THAT WILL FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAUNDRY AND ALSO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING CLEANSING AGENTS DEVELOPED FOR THE SHOWER WHEN THE TWO WASTE STREAMS ARE COMBINED IN THE WATER RECLAMATION SYSTEM. ONE OF THE MAJOR SOURCES OF FOULING OBSERVED IN WASTE TREATMENT SYSTEMSINVOLVING SHOWER AND LAUNDRY WATER IS LARGE PARTICLES COMPRISED OF HAIR, LINT, AND EPITHELIA. A DISPOSABLE FILTERHAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR THE SHOWER WHICH EFFICIENTLY REMOVES ALL PARTICLES LARGER THAN 100 MESH, AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE LIFE OF SUBSEQUENT FINER FILTERS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SIMILAR FILTER FOR THE TREATMENT OF LAUNDRY WATER IMMEDIATELY AS IT IS GENERATED IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT FOULING OF PUMPS AND SEPARATORS, AND PROVIDE COMPATIBILITY WITH THE RECLAMATION SUBSYSTEMS.