Thomas Pesquet using Ultrasonic Tweezers

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet using the Ultrasonic Tweezers experiment during his Alpha mission on the International Space Station, 20 July 2021.

Thomas commented on this picture: "This is not a shower (we don't have one on the Space Station ) but another ESA - European Space Agency / CNES technology demonstration: Ultrasonic Tweezers. The idea is pretty simple but it would have blown people's minds if you told them about it half a century ago. By using ultrasound waves and projecting them in the right way you can manipulate objects through sound alone. On Earth you can make them move, but in space it could be an extremely handy technology to manipulate objects as things move more easily without the need to overcome the pull of gravity. The technique could be used for experiments with dangerous or toxic materials for example. It is an interesting object and Mark came by to have a look and test it out too. Maybe he was missing the Earthly delight of a shower?"

France's space agency CNES experiment Ultrasonic Tweezers promises to move, manipulate and study objects or liquids without ever coming into contact with them. An acoustic tweezer uses ultrasound to trap objects. By moving the sound beam it is possible to move an object with great precision. The Ultrasonic tweezers experiment will evaluate how the technique can be used in microgravity to capture small plastic or glass marbles and move them over an obstacle course. Ultrasonic tweezers is a technology demonstrator that will stay on the International Space Station for use by scientists and astronauts to investigate other materials, gels and liquids and even hazardous materials or biological material without risk of contamination. Another use could be to capture water evaporation to better understand the physics at play. Other applications for the experiment lie in healthcare. Acoustic tweezers could be used to remove kidney stones or deliver targeted medicine.