Called the Space Act Agreement (SAA), the new project will see Colgate and NASA collaborate to test Colgate technologies, across oral health, skin health, and personal care product categories, that could help maintain or even improve the health and wellbeing of all space travelers in low orbit, either before, during, or after long-duration missions. The agreement will also see the International Space Station (ISS) used as an experimental testing ground.

Sustainability beyond earth

The collaboration will also see sustainability explored beyond its applications on our planet and into space as Colgate and NASA will explore sustainable hygiene for NASA crew members in the shape of waterless tablets and compact packaging technologies.

“I’m excited to work with the Colgate team as they collaborate with NASA to better understand how to maintain a healthy environment for humans living and working in space,” said Coleman.

“The International Space Station is our testing ground for future missions to the Moon and Mars, and provides an important opportunity to understand how we can optimize crew health and performance in microgravity. And, like so many of the investigations that we conduct in space, This work can also lead to discoveries that will advance health and wellbeing for everyone here on Earth.”

Coleman was previously a polymer chemist in the Air Force and worked with NASA for 24 years. She undertook three space missions where she conducted more than 100 different experiments.