Besides water shortage, what reason made simpler sponge baths cost-effective for ISS-era body cleaning?
Answer
Designing and launching a specialized shower apparatus was more expensive
Curator Jennifer Levasseur points out that the preference for simpler, existing sponge-bath solutions was driven partly by economics in addition to the physical scarcity of water. Developing, manufacturing, and successfully launching the mass associated with a specialized, heavier shower apparatus into orbit carried a significant financial and logistical cost compared to current methods. Opting for the established, water-saving sponge bath technique proved to be a more cost-effective solution overall for maintaining astronaut hygiene while managing the constraints of orbital living.
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