While most of us are now more picky about keeping homes and jobs clean on board the International Space Station, cleanliness is imperative.
Anti-bacterial measures are of great importance, as bacteria tend to accumulate in the constantly recycled air inside the ISS.
Every Saturday in space is “cleaning day”, where surfaces are wiped and astronauts vacuum and collect garbage.
But there is a place on board the station where cleaning is a no-no. But don’t worry, it’s all about science!
The MatISS or Microbial Aerosol Tethering experiment on innovative surfaces in the International Space Station tests five advanced materials and how well they can prevent the deposition and growth of disease-causing microorganisms.
MatISS also provided information on how biofilms attach to surfaces under microgravity conditions.
The experiment is sponsored by the French space agency CNES and was designed in 2016. Three iterations of the experiment were used on the ISS.
The first was MatISS-1 and had four sample holders installed over six months in three different locations in the European Columbus laboratory module.
It provided some reference data for the researchers, because when they were returned to Earth, the researchers characterized the deposits on each surface and used the control material to establish a reference for the level and type of contamination.
MatISS-2 had four identical sample holders containing three different types of materials, installed in a single location in Columbus. This study aimed to better understand how contamination spreads over time on hydrophobic (control) and control surfaces.
The modernized Matiss-2.5 was created to study how contamination spreads – this time spatially – over hydrophobic surfaces using modeled samples. This experiment lasted a year and recently the samples were returned to Earth and are currently being analyzed.
The samples are made from a diverse mix of advanced materials, such as self-assembled monolayers, green polymers, ceramic polymers and water-repellent hybrid silicon.
Smart materials should stop bacteria from sticking and growing on large surfaces and make them easier to clean and hygienic. The experimenter hopes to find out which materials work best.
ESA says that “understanding the efficiency and potential use of these materials will be essential for the design of future spacecraft, especially those transporting people into space.”
Long-term human space missions will certainly need to limit the biocontamination of astronaut habitats.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.