Scientists have successfully tested menstrual cups in spaceflight conditions in a major breakthrough, phys.org reported. This significant milestone will provide sustainable menstrual health options for female astronauts who choose to menstruate.
The AstroCup mission, led by Ligia F Coelho from Cornell University, launched four commercially available menstrual cups aboard a rocket, with two cups flying into space and two remaining on the ground.
"We are developing so many systems, making humans survive in a place we're not supposed to be," astrobiologist LÃgia Coelho, 51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellow in astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and fellow at the Carl Sagan Institute said as quoted. "The farther we go, to the moon and Mars, that's becoming harder and harder."
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The researchers analysed the results in "One Giant Leap for Womankind: First Menstrual cup Tested in Spaceflight Conditions", which is published in npj Women's Health.
The menstrual cups, which were flown to space, showed no signs of wear or tear, maintaining their structural integrity despite extreme acceleration forces, temperature changes, and pressure variations.
The cups also demonstrated leak-proof performance, with no leakage of test liquids (water and glycerol) detected.
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"The first time something is done on a rocket payload, the paper is used as methodology precedent," Coelho said. "We wanted to have a bulletproof methodology that can be replicated by other people. We put a lot of thought into how we could do this consistently with a good control setting that could be replicated."
Menstrual cups offer a reusable and sustainable solution for managing menstruation in space, reducing waste and the need for disposable products.
"I get passionate about the reasons why menstrual devices are still not in space," she said. "We need to have a serious conversation about what it means to have autonomy for health in space."
Women often use suppress menstruation hormonally on missions that last up to six months. But now these menstrual cups provide female astronauts with a choice in managing their menstrual health.
