Before NASA astronaut Sally Ride's historic launch aboard the spacecraft in 1983 as the first American woman in space, she was asked the question: Would 100 tampons be the right amount for her week-long mission?
“No,” she said. “That would be the wrong number.”
Even today, toPeriod photography still seems taboo. (CBC News reached out to half a dozen former astronauts, including NASA's astronaut communications team, who either did not respond or declined our interview request.)
But if we're going to go further into space than ever before and on longer missions, we can't afford to ignore it.
For those not in the know, those who menstruate typically occur once a month, with the average period lasting between four to seven days.
There are various ways to manage your menstruation. People may use tampons, menstrual pads, or menstrual cups. There are also intrauterine devices (IUDs), which are inserted in a hormonal version and can stop monthly periods.
But how to deal with this in space? New research published in the journal Nature Women's Health NPJ is considering giving astronauts who menstruate a new option.
Getting your period in space comes with some challenges. Most astronauts who menstruate choose to use hormonal methods to stop their periods completely, but some prefer pads or tampons.
But now researchers have completed pivotal trials of another potential option for astronauts who menstruate: menstrual cups.
“We want to give women different opportunities because right now, astronauts are, so to speak, forced to accept menstrual suppression,” said Katarina Miranda, a science communicator and co-author of the new study. “And since we already have solutions here on Earth that are sustainable and that we can use, why not try it in a space environment and adapt what we have here on Earth to space and to these long-duration missions?”
Menstrual cups are flexible, bell-shaped, reusable devices that are inserted into the vagina to collect blood.
This may be a viable option for astronauts who don't want to suppress menstruation.
The mission, called AstroCup, launched two cups into suborbital unmanned flight (meaning they did not orbit Earth), measuring temperature, acceleration and humidity. They then tested the integrity of the cups using water and glycerin, a liquid that mimics the viscosity of blood. The test was successful and the integrity of the cups remained intact.
Looking beyond the moon
In early 2026, the Artemis II crew—including Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reed Weissman—is scheduled to launch on a journey around the Moon. This is considered the first step towards returning humans to the Moon, and the Mars target is already in sight.
The trip to Mars will take several years. And this will require a large number of supplies, and their launch is expensive: every kilogram is important.
“It's just a situation where people didn't know it could be a problem because no one thought about it,” said Ligia Coelho, study co-author and astrobiologist. “So we decided to continue these experiments, and then it opened up a new area that we kind of created.”
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen is heading to the Moon as part of the Artemis 2 mission. He sits down with CBC's Nicole Mortillaro to talk about the physical, mental and collaborative parts of preparing to go to the farthest place humanity has ever gone.
Instead of packing away pads and tampons for years to come, a menstrual cup may be a better option because it's lightweight and reusable, according to researchers. Another consideration is that pills used to suppress menstruation will likely expire during the mission.
But cups aren't the only new option, Coelho said.
“We are now getting contacted by all these people who may be interested in sending other types of menstrual devices. We are partnering with a menstrual cup company who are also very keen to help us continue to do these experiments.”
The main goal of the study authors is to provide opportunities for astronauts.
“I don't think many people realize that within the next few years we will be returning to the moon. And over the next decade, Mars will also be discussed,” said study co-author Adam Langeveld.
And for missions to be successful, the most qualified people must be hired, he said.
“You don’t want to be limited by a barrier to entry for a certain group of people. So that's kind of the motivation to join in…to make sure that these missions are as successful as possible. And one way to do that is to ensure accessibility for everyone.”
More than just periods
Shona Pandya is the first Canadian female astronaut named in the commercial sector to fly aboard the spacecraft. Virgin Galactic's new Delta-class spacecraft with the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) already in 2026. She is also a physician specializing in women's health who has also done a lot of research on women's health in space and human life in space.
This includes research into parabolic flights (flight that simulates low gravity) with IUDs, which can also be used in space.
“[The IIAS] were the first in the world to demonstrate the ability to insert and remove IUDs in microgravity in parabolic flight,” she said. “It was…to solve some of the problems associated with menstrual control and menstrual suppression during long-duration spaceflight.”
(No, they didn't do this with real people; they used a uterus model.)
Pandya is glad to see more research being done into human presence in space, even beyond menstruation options.
“I am the head of the space medicine department at Institute for Advanced Study of Space Life. And literally we're looking at the roadmap and considerations around human sexuality and reproduction in spaceflight,” she said.
This includes sex.
“Now, in the era of commercial human spaceflight, where you know, you can't really dictate what people do, especially when we hear about proposals for space hotels,” she said. “We all know what people do in hotels.”
As for the Cornell researchers, they say the next step is to test the cup in space to see how it copes with radiation and more, as well as finding ways to sterilize the cups.
But they are excited about the prospects that will now be available to astronauts who menstruate.
“These options are not rocket science,” Coelho said. “There’s really no excuse for not putting them on the table.”
