Gen Z Engineers To Study Menstrual Flow In Microgravity

Physicist and astronautical engineer Manju Bangalore, 28, and aerospace engineer Priya Abiram, 22, are set to conduct the first formal research study of menstrual fluid dynamics in microgravity aboard a Virgin Galactic flight next year. This mission aims to address a significant gap in scientific understanding regarding menstruation in space, a topic that has seen limited progress since Sally Ride's early missions. While anecdotal observations have suggested that menstruation is generally safe in space, the available data is largely qualitative and insufficient for long-duration missions. Bangalore stated that current data is "limited data, and it’s all qualitative," emphasizing their pursuit of the "first quantitative study of menstruation in space." The engineers plan to utilize a fluid engineered to replicate the properties of menstrual blood to meticulously track both the behavior of menstrual flow and the absorption efficacy of feminine hygiene products under microgravity conditions. Their findings are intended to establish a foundational dataset that will support future research for extended orbital missions, including those planned for a potential Moon Base and eventual voyages to Mars. Beyond space exploration, the study also aims to yield insights that could lead to improvements in commercially available feminine hygiene products on Earth. This initiative is an extension of Bangalore's 11-year-old nonprofit organization, Operation Period. Operation Period is dedicated to delivering feminine hygiene products to underserved communities, providing education on menstrual health, and facilitating menstrual research. Bangalore, who transitioned from her role as a NASA engineer to a science communicator, leads Operation Period as its founder and executive producer. The nonprofit is powered by a team of Gen Z volunteers and receives financial backing from grassroots donors and institutional funders. The organization is currently engaged in a fundraising effort to secure $1.2 million to support its operations and research endeavors. The mission will also mark a significant achievement for Bangalore and Abiram, as they will become the youngest South Asian women to travel to space. Their work highlights a growing recognition within the aerospace industry of the need to consider the physiological needs of all astronauts, regardless of gender, for future long-duration space missions. The limited understanding of how bodily fluids behave in microgravity has implications not only for menstrual health but also for other physiological processes, underscoring the importance of this pioneering study.