Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is doing her bit for sci - comm on the International Space Station ( ISS ) , answering questions that fare her way on TikTok and Twitter . Her most late inquiry is something many people may be queer about but perhaps a smidgeon chagrined to ask : “ How do you deal menstruum in space ? ” Before recrudesce down the resolution to excuse the interior working of the ISS , Cristoforetti shrugs matter - of - factly : “ Just like you do on the ground . ”
WhenSally Ridemade history as the first American woman in space , she and her distaff astronaut colleague had to carry on with a fortune of sexism and gender diagonal within the space syllabus . For example , the NASA engineers in tutelage of put together the first women astronaut ’ escape outfit feign they would all want to wear make-up in space .
“ The engine driver at NASA , in their innumerous wisdom , decided that women astronaut would want to wear makeup — so they project a makeup kit . A makeup outfit brought to you by NASA engineers [ Laughter ] , ” Ridesaid in 2002 . “ you may just imagine the discussion amongst the predominantly male engineers about what should go in a make-up kit . So they come to me , figuring that I could give them advice . It was about the last matter in the earth that I wanted to be spending my sentence in training on . ”
They also had to deal with some surprisingly uninformed , if well - intentioned , kit - Almighty . You may have heard of the infamous “ 100 tampons ” incident . If not , let ’s recap : Rumor has it that NASA engineer sent Ride to space with 100 tampons for a calendar week ’s missionary station ( for the naive , that ’s waaaaay too much ) . In 2002 , Ride clarified they did n’t really send her to distance with that many , she carry off to intercept and point out their error .
“ I remember the engineers attempt to decide how many tampons should fly on a one - week flight ; they ask , ' Is 100 the right numeral ? ' ” Ride say , express joy . “ ’ No . That would not be the right number . ’ They enjoin , ‘ Well , we require to be dependable . ’ I said , ‘ Well , you could edit out that in one-half with no trouble at all . ’ ”
But , back toCristoforetti .
Cristoforetti explains they have rich supplying of domiciliation and tampon for everyone ’s needs and preferences . However , she says , the ISS has a pee processing gathering ( UPA ) that reprocess all cosmonaut ' ( but not cosmonauts ' ) urine into potable ( drinkable ) water .
" That UPA does not do very well with menstrual blood , so you have to be a little snatch careful with redundant filters to check that you do not affect the UPA , " she suppose . " This may be why , I believe , many spaceman choose to not menstruate in space , either by taking an oral endocrine pill or by using an intrauterine gadget ( intrauterine gadget ) . "
These are the two most unwashed way that menstruation can be temporarily halted . period go on roughly once a month when the uterus has build up a lining of blood and tissue paper just in case an egg gets fertilise . If it does n’t , the uterus disgorge the facing . Hormonal birth control falsify the natural level of oestrogen and progesterone in the trunk to prevent it from ovulate , while hormonal intrauterine gadget ( aka an intrauterine arrangement , or IUS ) secrete progesterone , thinning the lining of the uterine wall .
