Editing Skylab (section)

== Shower ==
[[File:Showering on Skylab - GPN-2000-001710.jpg|thumb|Astronaut Jack Lousma in the shower with curtain partially down, July 1973]]
[[File:Skylab 2 Conrad in shower.jpg|thumb|right|Conrad in the Skylab shower in 1973]]
[[File:P268skylabshowertest.jpg|thumb|Earth testing showing partially and fully enclosed positions of the shower curtain]]

Skylab had a zero-gravity shower system in the work and experiment section of the Orbital Workshop<ref name="ch5">{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/SP-400/ch5.htm|title=ch5|website=history.nasa.gov |access-date=18 January 2017}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> designed and built at the [[Johnson Space Center|Manned Spaceflight Center]].<ref name="part3b"/> It had a cylindrical curtain that went from floor to ceiling and a vacuum system to suck away water.<ref name="space.com">{{Cite news |url=http://www.space.com/24927-showering-on-skylab.html|title=Space History Photo: Showering on Skylab|newspaper=Space.com|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> The floor of the shower had foot restraints.

To bathe, the user coupled a pressurized bottle of warmed water to the shower's plumbing, then stepped inside and secured the curtain. A push-button shower nozzle was connected by a stiff hose to the top of the shower.<ref name="part3b"/><ref name=spacearch/> The system was designed for about 6 pints (2.8 liters) of water per shower,<ref name="Clarity">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/26/us/briefing-bathing-in-space.html |title=BRIEFING; Bathing in Space|last1=Clarity|first1=James F.|last2=Weaver|first2=Warren Jr.|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|date=November 26, 1984|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> the water being drawn from the personal hygiene water tank.<ref name="part3b"/> The use of both the liquid soap and water was carefully planned out, with enough soap and warm water for one shower per week per person.<ref name="ch5"/>

The first astronaut to use the space shower was [[Paul J. Weitz]] on Skylab 2, the first crewed mission.<ref name="ch5"/> He said, "It took a fair amount longer to use than you might expect, but you come out smelling good".<ref name="ch5"/> A Skylab shower took about two and a half hours, including the time to set up the shower and dissipate used water.<ref name="Guastello">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nyItAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA413 |title=Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics: A Systems Approach, Second Edition |last=Guastello|first=Stephen J.|publisher=CRC Press |isbn=9781466560093|page=413|date=December 19, 2013}}</ref> The procedure for operating the shower was as follows:<ref name=spacearch>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8RWKOxH1c8sC&pg=PA150 |title=Architecture for Astronauts: An Activity-based Approach |last=Häuplik-Meusburger |first=Sandra |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9783709106679 |date=October 18, 2011}}</ref>
# Fill up the pressurized water bottle with hot water and attach it to the ceiling
# Connect the hose and pull up the shower curtain
# Spray down with water
# Apply [[liquid soap]] and spray more water to rinse
# Vacuum up all the fluids and stow items.

One of the big concerns with bathing in space was control of droplets of water so that they did not cause an electrical short by floating into the wrong area.<ref name="pbs.org">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/spacestation/station/living_sanitation.htm|title=Space Station {{!}} The Station {{!}} Living in Space|website=www.pbs.org|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> The vacuum water system was thus integral to the shower. The vacuum fed to a centrifugal separator, filter, and collection bag to allow the system to vacuum up the fluids.<ref name=spacearch/> Waste water was injected into a disposal bag which was in turn put in the waste tank.<ref name="part3b"/> The material for the shower enclosure was fire-proof [[beta cloth]] wrapped around hoops of {{convert|43|in}} diameter; the top hoop was connected to the ceiling.<ref name="part3b"/> The shower could be collapsed to the floor when not in use.<ref name=spacearch/> Skylab also supplied astronauts with rayon terrycloth towels which had a color-coded stitching for each crew-member.<ref name="ch5"/> There were 420 towels on board Skylab initially.<ref name="ch5"/>

A simulated Skylab shower was also used during the 56-day SMEAT simulation; the crew used the shower after exercise and found it a positive experience.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shayler |first=David |date=May 28, 2001 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X4WaYqQDVKwC&pg=PA157 |page=157 |title=Skylab: America's Space Station |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=9781852334079}}</ref>