Operation Period-01 will study menstruation in space on Virgin Galactic
Operation Period-01 (OP-01) will be the first mission to actually study how menstruation works in space.
Led by Gen Z researchers Manju Bangalore and Priya Abiram, who started their nonprofit Operation Period back in 2017, the project is set for a Virgin Galactic flight in 2027.
The goal? To finally fill a big gap in space medicine that's been ignored for way too long.
Astronauts typically suppress periods with hormones
Right now, astronauts typically choose to fully suppress their periods with hormones because no one really knows how to manage them in microgravity.
OP-01 will collect real data that could help make longer spaceflights or even extended stays on the moon safer and more comfortable.
Bangalore also points out this research could fix outdated menstrual product testing on earth and help break the stigma around periods, both here and beyond our planet.