How Do Astronauts Clean A Space Station?

Astronauts have to keep the space station clean to keep microbes under control

- Tereza Pultarova

International Space Station astronauts don’t have time to sleep in on Saturday mornings. They’re far too busy sticking to their strict cleaning schedule. Saturday is their big ‘cleaning day’, when surfaces have to be sanitised and dust removed. On 30 April, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who arrived at the orbital outpost aboard Dragon Crew Endeavour on 24 April, shared insights into what a space station cleaning routine looks like.

The inhabitants of the International Space Station are kept as safe as possible from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: strict pre-flight quarantine and other safety measures are in place for crew members, as well as newly delivered equipment, Pesquet said.

However, keeping potentially harmful microorganisms in check is still an important part of safe living in space, and improper hygiene habits have no place on board the station. “We have to disinfect all the surfaces we touch every week,” Pesquet said. “We also have a lot of measures on the space station that are similar to those you can find in hospitals or at airports that are designed to prevent the propagation of bacteria.”