Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32549: Clean Tech in Orbit: The Touching Surfaces Experiment

Maintaining hygiene in the closed environment of the International Space Station (ISS) is a top priority. With limited access to cleaning supplies and no easy way to replace equipment, preventing microbial contamination is essential for crew health. That’s where the Touching Surfaces experiment, led by Dr. Ralf Moeller and developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), comes into play.

Touching Surfaces investigates new antimicrobial coatings that can be applied to high-touch areas in spacecraft, such as handrails and control panels. These coatings are designed to reduce the growth and spread of bacteria and fungi, which could otherwise pose a health risk in microgravity.

The experiment studies how these surfaces perform under the unique conditions of space, where normal convection currents don’t help disperse microbes, and surfaces can remain contaminated longer than on Earth. By analyzing microbial survival on various materials, researchers can determine which coatings are most effective.

The results have potential benefits far beyond spaceflight. Hospitals, public transport systems, and other places where hygiene is crucial could adopt similar technologies. The data also help improve planetary protection protocols, ensuring minimal biological contamination on missions to other planets.

Touching Surfaces supports the development of next-generation spacecraft that are safer and easier to maintain. Its outcomes contribute to longer missions and future deep-space travel, where health risks must be minimized with innovative materials and systems.

Through smart surface science, this experiment shows how even simple innovations—like changing what we touch—can have significant impacts on safety and sustainability in space and on Earth.

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