#12: 日本人宇宙飛行士、2ヶ月に渡る同一下着着用実験に成功

日本人宇宙飛行士、2ヶ月に渡る同一下着着用実験に成功
Japanese astronaut's experiment wearing the same underwear for 2 months is a success.

2009/7/29 12:01 UTC − 国際宇宙ステーション（ISS）で4ヶ月超に渡る長期滞在ミッションを続けてきた日本人の若田光一宇宙飛行士がISS内で2ヶ月超に渡って同一の下着を着用し続けるという実験を実施し、成功を収めていたことが判った。

It is understood that Japanese astronaut, Kouichi Wakata, who spent over 4 months on a long-stay mission in the International Space Station (ISS), has successfully completed an experiment wearing the same underwear for 2 months continuously.

この宇宙下着は、日本女子大学家政学部被服学科の多屋淑子教授を中心とする研究グループが開発したもので抗菌性、消臭性、吸湿性、速乾性に優れ、長期間着用しても臭ったり、汚れが目立ったりすることは少ないという特徴を持つ。

The research group, lead by Professor Yoshiko Taya from the Womens University of Japan, Home Economics department, Clothing course, has developed the space underwear which is said to have the special features of being antibacterial, deodourising, water absorbent, very fast drying and to not smell much or get noticeably soiled after extended periods of wearing.

当初、この下着の着用実験は2週間の予定で日程が組まれていたが、2週間経過しても特に汚れや臭いが目立たなかったことから、若田宇宙飛行士の希望により、その後も長期着用が続けられたものとなる。

At first, the schedule was put together with a 2 week estimate for the underwear experiment. However, after 2 weeks the soiling and smell were not particularly noticeable so, in accordance with astronaut Wakata's wishes, after that the experiment continued.

こ れまでISSの宇宙飛行士は3日に1度のペースで下着を交換し、使い古された下着は補給船の廃棄物コンテナに格納されて補給船が破壊的再突入する過程で焼却処理されていたが、この新下着の場合、数ヶ月に渡る連続着用が可能となるということもあり、その実験成果はNASAやESAなども高い関心を示してい る。

Up until this, the ISS astronauts changed their underwear every 3 days. The used underwear was store in the waste matter container of the re-supply ship (shuttle), and were incinerated in the destructive heat of the re-entry process. However, in the case of this new underwear, as it is said to be possible to wear them continuously for several months, NASA and ESA are showing great interest in the results of this experiment.

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