Tide to Design First Laundry Detergent for Space, to Begin Stain Removal Testing on International Space Station in 2022

Rhea-AI Summary

Tide has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA to develop laundry detergent solutions for use in space, aiming to address challenges faced during long-duration missions. Currently, astronauts must wear clothing multiple times due to limited resupply options. Tide's fully degradable detergent is designed for microgravity, focusing on safety and water purification. Onboard tests will begin with a 2022 cargo launch to the ISS. The collaboration aligns with Tide's Ambition 2030 sustainability goals, seeking resource efficiencies in laundry processes on Earth and in space.

Positive

• Partnership with NASA to develop innovative laundry solutions for space missions.
• Tide's fully degradable detergent addresses safety, effectiveness, and resource efficiency.
• Potential insights will enhance Tide's sustainable products on Earth.

Negative

• None.

Tide^® has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to help in the development of laundry detergent solutions and technology development in space. Under the agreement, NASA may test and study Tide cleaning solutions in space. The study could have potential on-planet implications like innovative solutions for resource and environmental challenges on Earth. Aligning with Tide’s decade-long sustainability commitment, Ambition 2030, Tide will strive to bring off-planet learnings back to everyday consumer products.

Tide® has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to help in the development of laundry detergent solutions and technology development in space. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Currently, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) wear clothing several times before replacing with a new set. Clothing is delivered to the station through resupply shipment opportunities. The limited cargo capacity makes the practice of replenishing the clothing supply challenging for deep space missions, such as Artemis Moon missions and a crewed roundtrip Mars mission. Without a laundry solution, 160 pounds of clothing per crew member per year are launched to ISS. Human roundtrip missions to Mars could be two to three years in length.

Major challenges for off-Earth laundering include ingredient safety and compatibility with NASA life support systems, and the limited amount of water available per wash load and the requirement that the wash water be purified back to drinking-quality water. To combat these challenges, Tide has developed a fully degradable detergent, specifically designed for use in space to solve malodor, cleanliness and stain removal problems for washable items used during deep space missions, while being suitable for use in a closed-loop water system.

Onboard a 2022 cargo launch to the space station, “Mission PGTide” (P&G Telescience Investigation of Detergent Experiments), teams will test the stability of cleaning ingredients under microgravity conditions and exposure to the radiation levels experienced in space in partnership with the ISS U.S. National Laboratory and SEOPS. In addition, the stain removal ingredients and performance will be tested onboard the ISS through experiments with Tide To Go Wipes and Tide To Go Pens.

“The ISS National Lab is excited to work with the P&G team once again as they push the limits of their research and development onboard the orbiting laboratory,” said Dr. Michael Roberts, Acting Chief Scientist for the ISS National Lab. “Through private-sector utilization of the space station, companies like P&G can conduct investigations in ways not possible on Earth to develop new consumer products, enhance existing products, and better understand processes that further business models both on the ground and in low Earth orbit. We look forward to this first investigation of Tide in Space and hope that many more will soon follow.”

In addition to testing onboard the ISS National Lab, NASA and Tide researchers may study how an innovative combined washing and drying unit utilizing the special-formulated detergent could potentially be integrated into planetary habitats that may be used for the Artemis Moon and Mars missions under low-gravity surface conditions. There are also a unique set of challenges that present themselves for a crewed Mars mission. Future missions to and from Mars expect to span multiple years, and these long-duration flights will require laundry solutions designed for extreme space-based environments and varying gravity conditions.

“This partnership was created to rethink cleaning solutions – forcing us to rethink innovations for resource-constrained and challenging environments like the ISS, deep space and even the future of our home planet,” said Aga Orlik, Senior Vice President, P&G North America Fabric Care. “We are eager to apply our learnings from our partnerships with NASA and the ISS National Lab to Tide on Earth, developing a low-resource-use laundry solution for everyday use while meeting consumer demand for more sustainable products.”

The news of Tide’s space exploration to innovate low-impact laundry solutions comes on the heels of Tide’s Ambition 2030 commitments, announced earlier this spring. Included among Tide’s Ambition commitments were actionable goals to find resource efficiencies in energy, water and waste across the laundry lifecycle – from manufacturing and packaging to consumer use phase and end of life – to reduce the environmental impact of a load of laundry while increasing the impact of clean clothes.

“Humanity has reached a pivotal point where on one hand, we’re on the exciting cusp of space colonization, and on the other, facing a critical period where action must be taken now to save the planet we all call home,” said Orlik. “The collaboration with NASA and the ISS National Lab are particularly exciting because it allows us to push the bounds of resource efficiency to its absolute limit, uncovering learnings with practical applications for both the future of laundry in space and here on Earth.”

To check out more information on Tide’s overarching sustainability ambitions, please see here.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always^®, Ambi Pur^®, Ariel^®, Bounty^®, Charmin^®, Crest^®, Dawn^®, Downy^®, Fairy^®, Febreze^®, Gain^®, Gillette^®, Head & Shoulders^®, Lenor^®, Olay^®, Oral-B^®, Pampers^®, Pantene^®, SK-II^®, Tide^®, Vicks^®, and Whisper^®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

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FAQ

What is the significance of Tide's agreement with NASA?

Tide's Space Act Agreement with NASA aims to develop laundry detergent solutions for use in space, addressing challenges faced by astronauts during long missions.

How will Tide's detergent be tested in space?

Tide's detergent will be tested onboard the ISS during a 2022 cargo launch, focusing on cleaning efficacy under microgravity conditions.

What are Tide's sustainability goals related to this agreement?

Tide's Ambition 2030 commitment includes finding resource efficiencies in the laundry lifecycle, which aligns with innovations from the NASA partnership.

How does Tide's development relate to long-duration space missions?

Tide's detergent aims to solve laundry challenges for deep space missions, reducing the need for clothing resupply and improving resource use.

What environmental impacts could Tide's developments have?

Insights gained from space research could lead to more sustainable laundry solutions on Earth, contributing to Tide's commitment to reducing environmental impacts.