Plasma-powered laundry gun could dry-clean astronaut clothes in space

Scientists have developed a handheld “laundry gun” that sanitizes fabrics by firing cold plasma, generating oxidizing species like ozone to kill bacteria. Tested with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the pen-sized device reduced spore colonies on fabric by over 75% and could cut the need for water and cleaning chemicals on long space missions. It’s not a full replacement for washing yet, and researchers plan larger but still handheld versions, plus filtration to manage ozone. Future work could extend plasma cleaning to spacesuits and tools during spaceflight.