Over Half Of The Medications Stashed On The ISS Would Expire Before Astronauts Could Return Home From Mars, Marking A New Challenge Facing Explorers Of The Red Planet
Before being launched into space, astronauts may be in solid physical condition. But during their time away from our home planet, they might develop runny noses, allergies, aches and pains, or have trouble sleeping, just like the rest of us on Earth.
A supply of medications, such as sleep aids, pain relievers, allergy medicines, and antibiotics, is provided to help with these symptoms.
However, a new study has revealed that more than half of the medicines stashed on the International Space Station (ISS) would expire before astronauts could return home from Mars. Identical medications would be available to astronauts traveling to the Red Planet.
On the ISS, crews of three to six people are on missions that usually last six months. A voyage to Mars is expected to take three years to complete. In that time, there is no way that the stockpile of medications can be replenished.
Researchers at the Duke University School of Medicine found shelf life data on 91 out of 106 medications on the ISS that would also be brought to Mars.
Of those, 54 had a best-before date of less than 36 months if kept in their original packaging. Some would expire after two years, like an allergy pill or eye drops. So, the astronauts may be reliant on ineffective medications.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean the medicines won’t work, but in the same way you shouldn’t take expired medications you have lying around at home, space exploration agencies will need to plan on expired medications being less effective,” Daniel Buckland, the senior author of the study and an assistant professor at Duke University, said.
After medications hit their expiration dates, their strength can be reduced significantly or by just a little. Estimates show that about 60 to 98 percent of the medications will expire before a mission to Mars ends.
In the study, the researchers pointed out that microgravity could have an impact on the degradation of medicines.
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It is possible that many of them will lose their effectiveness even faster in space, although not much is known about how microgravity affects the potency of medicines.
But, the harsh conditions in space, which can include high levels of radiation, can reduce their effectiveness even further. Experts must now figure out how to prolong the shelf life of medications for longer missions.
“Those responsible for the health of space flight crews will have to find ways to extend the expiration of medications to complete a Mars mission duration of three years, select medications with longer shelf lives, or accept the elevated risk associated with administering expired medication,” said Thomas E. Diaz, the lead author of the study and a pharmacy resident at the John Hopkins Hospital.
Hopefully, the study can guide strategies to ensure a safe and well-stocked pharmacy for astronauts in space.
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