During human spaceflight, astronauts conducted research on a wide range of topics, from muscle atrophy in microgravity to the psychological effects of long-duration missions.
But while more than 100 women have now traveled beyond Earth's gravity, no one has ever attempted to study a physiological process experienced by half the population: menstruation.
At least that's what Virgin Galactic, a commercial aerospace company specializing in suborbital spaceflight, claims. Now, as Virgin Galactic prepares to resume commercial operations in 2026, the company aims to change that.
Virgin Galactic, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, announced plans to conduct a research spaceflight in 2027 aimed at better understanding how microgravity and space travel can impact women's menstrual cycles and hormonal health. The mission, led by two women from a nonprofit focused on women's reproductive health, "represents a significant moment at the intersection of commercial spaceflight, women's health, and scientific innovation," Virgin Galactic said in a statement.
Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming mission, including the impact it could have not only on future astronauts but also on healthcare innovations on Earth.
What is Virgin Galactic? What you need to know about Richard Branson's company.
Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, dressed as an astronaut, attends a press conference following his July 11, 2021, crewed flight aboard Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity passenger rocket plane to the edge of space.
Virgin Galactic is an aerospace company focused on space travel and part of British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group conglomerate.
Like its competitor Blue Origin, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, Virgin Galactic specializes in transporting paying customers on short flights to the edge of space. Blue Origin recently suspended its activities in this market, focusing on developing a lunar lander for NASA's Artemis lunar mission.
Virgin Galactic, a tenant at Spaceport America in New Mexico, has carried 32 people into space on 12 missions.
Virgin Galactic will conduct tests to study menstruation in space.
Virgin Galactic has announced a planned 2027 spaceflight that the company claims will be the first research mission to study menstruation in microgravity.
The exact target date for the flight, known as the "Operations Period," has not yet been announced. In a press release on May 28, Virgin Galactic stated that the flight will be used to study the menstrual cycle beyond Earth in suborbital space.
Previous Virgin Galactic missions have lasted over an hour from takeoff to landing, but passengers typically only have a few minutes to view Earth from space while experiencing weightlessness. This means the mission crew will have little time to conduct research, which Virgin Galactic says will focus on "menstrual fluid dynamics and the effectiveness of menstrual hygiene products.".
According to Virgin Galactic, the mission's results could have implications for long-duration spaceflight and the entire medical community. The official name for Operation Period is OP-01, suggesting that future missions will be developed under this name.
«"At Virgin Galactic, we are committed to advancing human exploration that advances the possibilities of space exploration," Amber Favaregh, Virgin Galactic's director of systems analysis and exploration, said in a statement.
Who was selected to be part of the Operation Period crew?
Manju Bangalore, founder of Operation Period, a nonprofit focused on reproductive health research and advocacy, will be on the mission alongside aeronautical engineer and pilot Priya Abiram, the nonprofit's director of research.
The couple is expected to become the youngest women from South Asia to travel to space, according to Virgin Galactic.
«"I've dreamed about this since I was four years old and promised myself I would achieve it before I turned 30," Bangalore, a 28-year-old reproductive health specialist, said in an Instagram video. "This dream has been brewing for so long.".
Abiram, 22, added in her Instagram post that in her professional life, she "devoted every hour to working towards becoming an astronaut.".
Virgin Galactic will resume its space tourism program in 2026.
Virgin Galactic recently unveiled the first look at its new spaceplane, dubbed Spaceship. The craft will soon begin flying from New Mexico, taking paying passengers on journeys to the edge of space.
The mission comes shortly after Virgin Galactic resumed flights after more than two years of hiatus.
Virgin Galactic recently unveiled the first look at its new spaceplane, which is expected to begin flying paying passengers to the edge of space in late 2026.
Designed for reusability to reduce time between missions, the vehicle is an upgraded version of Virgin Galactic's previous spaceplane, according to Virgin Galactic's latest financial report. The spaceplane, officially named "SpaceShip," has completed assembly and ground testing at the company's Arizona facility, and Virgin Galactic is preparing to transport it to Spaceport America this summer to begin flight testing.
Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spacecraft returns to flight.
According to Virgin Galactic, the SpaceShip spacecraft is capable of conducting up to eight missions per month, accommodates six passengers, and will replace the VSS Unity spaceplane.
But Virgin Galactic recently brought Unity out of retirement.
The spaceplane completed a flight over New Mexico on May 27, which Virgin Galactic called a "glide flight." The flight allowed Virgin Galactic pilots to conduct training and ground crews to "reach operational readiness" before testing the new spacecraft prototype, according to the company's press release.
Virgin Galactic's spaceflights resemble a traditional commercial aircraft takeoff from a runway, as the company uses an air-launch strategy to deliver its vehicles to the edge of space.
VMS Eve, the so-called "mothership," is a four-engine, twin-fuselage jet carrier aircraft that carries the spacecraft to what Virgin Galactic calls "liftoff altitude." There, VSS Unity separates from the aircraft and ascends to approximately 54 miles—within the reach defined by the U.S. military and NASA as the beginning of outer space—before landing on a runway.
Eric Lagatta is a Space Connect correspondent for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at elagatta@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virgin Galactic to study periods with 'historic' spaceflights in 2027.