If you thought nothing could shock you anymore, you might want to think again. What would you say about a pair of underpants that you can wear for seven days in a row and they don't smell, and you can even set them on fire, or at least try to, as they are resistant to fire, they wick away perspiration and also provide insulation.

To shatter the suspense, a Japanese astronaut, on the International Space Station, is testing a pair of special non-smelling underwear. Koichi Wakata, aged 48, will wear the almost magic antibacterial polymer underpants for seven days on the STS-119 mission to test their effectiveness.

 

The underwear has been developed by Japanese researchers in a bid to create clothing that reduces smell, absorbs sweat and provides insulation. Made of state-of-the-art odor-fighting fibers, they will need to reduce or eliminate smells normally associated with that area of the body for seven consecutive days. Traditionally, astronauts wear their clothing for three days before changing.

 

If this technology proves to be efficient, then the world of fashion, just as that of the clothing industry will be completely revolutionized. Even more, this type of clothing items will not only make a lot of people feel better about themselves in certain situations, but will also help them save money on expensive apparel, meant to hide odors and repel sweat.

 

The underpants, together with other clothes worn by Wakata have been developed by the Women's University in Tokyo and have previously been tested by other JAXA astronauts. Why the pants are being tested in space though, that's a fact that is not clear yet. But there is a good part in all this, if you think about it. This way, you won't have to sit next to someone on the subway or bus who has been wearing the same underwear for seven days.

 

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