Gabe Xu Unveils Pencil-Size Plasma Gun That Kills Fabric Bacteria for Mars Missions
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · May 27
Gabe Xu Unveils Pencil-Size Plasma Gun That Kills Fabric Bacteria for Mars Missions
1 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · May 27
Gabe Xu’s team presented a proof-of-concept “laundry gun” that uses room-temperature cold plasma to kill bacteria on cotton fabrics, aiming to keep astronauts’ clothing and soft surfaces hygienic.
The device fires a pencil-size beam made from helium, air and water vapor; the plasma generates reactive oxygen species, including ozone, that create lethal oxidative stress for microbes.
The work targets a persistent spaceflight problem: astronauts carry limited clothing, can wear underwear for up to a week, and usually discard used garments to burn up in the atmosphere because flowing water is impractical onboard.
Xu said the next step is scaling the tool to roughly soda-can size and adding filtration to control ozone exposure, with possible future use on spacesuits and tools during long-duration Mars missions.
Could the plasma gun solving astronaut laundry create a hidden health risk on long missions?
Is a plasma 'laundry gun' the real future, or will self-cleaning fabrics make it obsolete before it launches?