Explanation: How can you wash your hair in space -- without gravity? Long a bother for space-faring astronauts, Karen Nyberg, a flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2013, gave a tutorial. Key components are a squirt package of water, no-rinse shampoo, and vigorous use of a towel and comb. Even so, the featured video shows that the whole process should take only a few minutes. Residual water will eventually evaporate from your hair, be captured by the space station's air conditioning system, and be purified into drinking water. After returning from a total of 180 days in space, Nyberg has worked for NASA in several capacities including as the Chief of Robotics branch.
Perhaps we could equally ask how you take a shower while in space - or have a bath (!) in zero g.
Or do your laundry. ?
And if you place freshly washed clothes in the airlock, will they come back freeze packed,
or will the vacuum completely desiccate/dry them ?
(if water can even be wasted in this way ?)
Even brushing your teeth must be interesting, how do you persuade water onto the toothbrush.
Coffee cups are probably redundant up there too ?
Etc etc.
If there is no up or down in zero-g, why is her hair all standing one way, on its end? Notice that the water doesn't pour up or down but just forms a sphere and is propelled in the direction from momentum. It seems the solution would be for her to stand upside down, with her feet to the ceiling, then her hair would fall neatly down on her shoulders.
De58te wrote:If there is no up or down in zero-g, why is her hair all standing one way, on its end? Notice that the water doesn't pour up or down but just forms a sphere and is propelled in the direction from momentum. It seems the solution would be for her to stand upside down, with her feet to the ceiling, then her hair would fall neatly down on her shoulders.
What? She put it that way before the video started. Clearly it's easier to work with up like that, or she wouldn't have done that.
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.
Better question - why wash your hair in space? For the time it takes, the water it wastes, etc etc Astronauts should man up (even the women) and shave their heads. Then a quick damp cloth and you're done. A shaver with a vacuum attachment to maintain it would be a magnitude easier then the whole washing process. This policy would have a million pro's and only vanity as the single con.
I would not want to be minding my own business elsewhere in the ISS and suddenly get splashed in the face by a roaming blob of water from someone's hair-washing -- or worse!
Vonskippy wrote:Better question - why wash your hair in space? For the time it takes, the water it wastes, etc etc Astronauts should man up (even the women) and shave their heads. Then a quick damp cloth and you're done. A shaver with a vacuum attachment to maintain it would be a magnitude easier then the whole washing process. This policy would have a million pro's and only vanity as the single con.
Aren't their duty tours 6 months? Hair would be pretty long by then!
Vonskippy wrote:Better question - why wash your hair in space? For the time it takes, the water it wastes, etc etc Astronauts should man up (even the women) and shave their heads. Then a quick damp cloth and you're done. A shaver with a vacuum attachment to maintain it would be a magnitude easier then the whole washing process. This policy would have a million pro's and only vanity as the single con.
Certainly, some astronauts have chosen to do this. It's reasonable. But nothing makes it particularly necessary. It's obviously not that difficult to wash your hair. It doesn't consume much time. And water in the ISS is not wasted. Whatever you use to wash your hair is back in the system in short order. It's not like they vent their dirty water into space!
Chris
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Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory https://www.cloudbait.com
Saying all you need is, a bag of water, shampoo and a comb is a bit simplistic.
She had the convenience of a high air flow chamber to draw her hair, and spilt water, away from her face, and no doubt to dry it.
Bit like standing in front of a fan, or a hair dryer!
JohnD wrote:Saying all you need is, a bag of water, shampoo and a comb is a bit simplistic.
She had the convenience of a high air flow chamber to draw her hair, and spilt water, away from her face, and no doubt to dry it.
Bit like standing in front of a fan, or a hair dryer!
Why do you say that? There are small fans sucking in air and debris, but she doesn't appear to be in any kind of "high air flow" chamber to me. Those little square grid things behind her are for ventilation, and you don't see things flowing toward them.
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.
If it wasn't for her pony-tail. her hair would be all over her face!
This is probably true, but it's not because of air flow. It's just the lack of gravity. You see in both videos there are somewhat loose objects, wires, etc. in the room, but they aren't fluttering or moving about. Please don't ask me to watch it again unless you want to point out some specific evidence that backs up what you're saying.
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.
Wow, her hair in this video really reminds me of the Martian menace, "Calvin", in the movie, Life (particularly at about 2:43, when she just starts running).
How to Wash Your Hair in Space
