Onboard clothes are selected not only for ease of movement
but also for comfortable living
If you were an astronaut, what kinds of clothes would you bring for spacecraft life? Would you choose comfortable, loose-fitting clothes because there is not much space to move around in? Or perhaps colorful clothes, or your favorite clothes to brighten your mood? How do astronauts actually choose the clothes that they will wear onboard the ISS? Here, we also introduce you to the latest clothes worn in the ISS.
Clothing for comfortable life in the ISS:
the importance of style as well as function!?
Atmospheric pressure inside the ISS is kept at 1 atm, the same as on earth, and the temperature and humidity are maintained at a comfortable level for astronauts. Therefore, with the exception of special pressure suits worn at launch and upon their return to earth, astronauts do not need to wear any special clothing or underwear, and can live and work in the same kinds of clothes as they do back on earth.
Astronauts cannot do their laundry while in space, so they bring a set number of each item of clothing they need for the duration of their stay, such as one polo shirt for every 15 days and one pair of underwear for every three days. Sometimes, the entire crew also brings matching shirts embroidered with the mission name. Astronauts are supplied with these clothes by NASA, but Japanese astronauts sometimes bring the clothes prepared by JAXA as part of NASA’s supplies.
Clothes developed in collaboration with famous brands
BEAMS Co., Ltd. produced clothes for astronaut NOGUCHI Soichi to wear during his extended stay on the ISS, which began in November 2020. These clothes have functional features required for an extended stay in space, such as absorbency, quick drying, antibacterial and deodorizing properties. Additionally, they have a number of other features intended to help NOGUCHI maximize his performance onboard the ISS, including the flight suits which allow to wear upper and lower sections separately. For astronaut HOSHIDE Akihiko who will stay in the ISS for long duration following astronaut NOGUCHI, clothes manufactured by GOLDWIN INC. will be launched. These clothes, products of joint research with JAXA, make use of a material that promotes absorbency, quick drying, antibacterial and deodorizing properties in order to support HOSHIDE’s activities during his extended stay in space. In these ways, private companies, too, are contributing to the clothing worn by astronauts in the ISS.
Fun facts about onboard clothes
Who selects onboard clothes?
When selecting onboard clothes, JAXA both accepts proposals from companies and buys directly from the market. Whichever the case may be, JAXA makes a comprehensive evaluation of the clothing considering comfort (including functional features such as absorbency, quick drying, antibacterial and deodorizing properties), design, and the opinions of the astronauts themselves. Subsequently, JAXA selects candidate products after performing safety verification tests (off-gas tests) and conducts flight safety reviews to determine clothes appropriate for space use.
Although specialized clothing with functions designed especially for use in space—such as additional antibacterial and deodorizing functions—have been developed, most of the time astronauts wear the same kinds of clothes as they do when they are back on earth. For instance, they may wear clothes that are coordinated with crew members from other countries, or clothes with antibacterial and deodorizing functions that are commercially available in Japan.
What happens to onboard clothes when astronauts are done wearing them?<
Since astronauts cannot do their laundry in space, clothes they are finished wearing are loaded together with other waste onto an empty cargo vehicle that had brought supplies to the ISS. All of this waste burns up when the vehicle reenters the atmosphere.
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