This is how astronauts wash their hair in space - and it's unconventional to say the least

We've all heard the phrase 'I'm washing my hair tonight' - mostly in rather uninventive sitcom scripts.

It's usually writer shorthand for; this character can't be bothered to go to the pub, or they're not actually interested in going on that date.

The reason it never caught on was most likely because washing one's hair is a simple task - it doesn't take too long and it's certainly not something that would result in an evening wasted.

In space however, it's a different story. Washing hair in zero gravity is a precarious business - but it needs to be done.

It's become a particular point of interest given that NASA's Artemis II mission is about to see four astronauts head as far as the Moon for the first time in 50 years.

Their mission, which is set to launch on 1 April 2026, is set to last 10 days, which, naturally, has people wondering how they'll complete daily tasks.

Well, it's actually already been debunked.

On a trip to the International Space Station in 2012, Expedition 36 astronaut Karen Nyberg demonstrated just how she and her colleagues keep their hair clean while floating around in orbit.

As you can see in this video from Nasa, it's not entirely dissimilar to how we wash hair on Earth, except we don't have to catch the water as it floats away from us.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

They also have to use no rinse shampoo (we sincerely hope they are using the right shampoo) and a towel, rather than a hair-dryer, as they have limited supplies.

Although it looks like a real ordeal, it's cool to know that astronauts are keeping themselves and their hair clean in outer space.

If you weren't impressed already, Karen reveals that there is an even more fascinating aspect to cleaning hair on the ISS.

In an extended video, Karen states that as her hair dries, the evaporated water is condensed by the space station and eventually turned into drinking water.

How about that? We wonder if it tastes of shampoo?

According to Nasa, Karen, who was on her second space mission at the time time, also took along sewing and sketching materials on the six-month long trip.

This article was originally published on 22 August 2017, and has since been updated

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