Textile experts at Japan Women's University in Tokyo developed J-ware, a a line of odor-free underwear and casual clothing. The first Japanese astronaut to live on the International Space Station, Koichi Wakata, is the guinea pig (or maybe his fellow ISS habitants are).
The clothes are designed to kill bacteria, absorb water, insulate the body, dry quickly, are flame-resistant and anti-static, according to the Reuters article. And , according to a bit of PR-sounding information, they are comfortable and stylish.
An official with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency told Reuters that Wakata "can wear his trunks (underwear) more than a week." Wakata said, "Nobody has complained, so I think it's so far, so good."The clothing even stays dry during workouts - perhaps participants in the Space Olympics should look into this.
In related smelly space news, Colbert swept the competition in an online naming poll for a new space module, surrprising NASA officials, who said the decision would not be made until April - but may name the toilet after Colbert. "As for the toilet rumor, we don't want to flush away any goodwill by announcing something before we are ready," said a spokesperson.
Perhaps Jon Stewart can get in on the Mars Science Laboratory rover poll.
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