JSC "NIIkhimmash" is completing the assembly of a prototype washing device intended for operation on the International Space Station (ISS). Ground tests of the unit are scheduled for the summer of 2026.
The design is fundamentally different from household counterparts: instead of a drum, a sealed chamber with a volume of 5 liters is used, made in the form of an elastic bag. Cyclic compression and decompression of the walls provides mechanical action on the fabric, replacing traditional rotation. After washing is complete, the system vacuums the internal volume, followed by forced drying. The rate of moisture removal directly depends on the electrical power output.
In parallel, the company is developing a compact shower cabin for space missions. To minimize the occupied volume on board the station, the structure was made foldable with a working volume of about 2 m³.
NIIkhimmash specializes in the creation of life support engineering systems for spacecraft and equipment for the chemical industry. New developments are aimed at increasing the autonomy of crews during long-term orbital missions through a closed cycle of water and textile use.