Tokyo - A Japanese astronaut will put on special boxer shorts and gym wear during his upcoming mission to see if the newly developed high-tech clothing can boost comfort levels on the International Space Station, Japan's space agency said on Friday.

The seamless, stretchable boxer shorts, gym wear and socks are made of lightweight fabric woven by anti-bacterial and antistatic fibres to give "high levels of deodorant, antiseptic and antistatic effect" in space, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said.

Astronaut Takao Doi will try them on inside the Japanese space lab "Kibo", where he cannot take a bath or shower during the two-week mission.
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