As humans travel to Mars and beyond, where re-supply from and return to Earth is difficult to impossible, monitoring and controlling every aspect of life onboard spacecraft is essential, down to the tiniest microbes. With that goal in mind, global aerospace leader Boeing recently launched a project to the International Space Station (ISS) on SpaceX’s 29th commercial re-supply services (CRS) mission. The ISS National Laboratory®-sponsored project will test the effectiveness and durability of an innovative antimicrobial coating in space.
In the space environment, human-associated microorganisms that spread disease and infection can proliferate, mutate, and may even become more resistant to antibiotics. This can pose a risk to crew health and the integrity of spacecraft systems. Boeing partnered with researchers at the University of Queensland to develop a polymer coating that is designed to fight the spread of bacteria and viruses. Building on a previous experiment onboard the space station to test the coating’s effectiveness, the new investigation will test it across several different surfaces and areas of the orbiting laboratory.