Haircuts in Space: How to Keep Your Astronauts Looking Fresh
1 min read
Summary
While space travel tends to focus on the more glamorous elements of spending time in space, astronauts’ bodies continue to function in the same way and need the same basic levels of care, including hair cutting.
The challenges of keeping a space station free of drifting human hair clippings have been tackled in various ways, depending on the vessel.
On the International Space Station, a hair clipper is attached to a vacuum to ensure that hair cuttings are contained and do not float off and clog vital equipment.
Chinese astronauts on the Tiangong space station use a similar system, comprising a small handheld vacuum attached to hair clippers, ensuring maximum removal of hair clippings.
This is not a perfect science, and some clippings are likely to be missed, but it is a functional system to keep hair from proliferating in the vessels.
