A recent space mission sent two period protection products into space to see how they would hold up under extreme conditions. The mission is a positive development for safe period care in space (Image: Getty Images)

Female astronauts have long had to rely on hormonal contraception to suppress their periods during space missions. But now, a new experiment has blasted an alternative into orbit: menstrual cups. ‌

In a world-first mission, two period cups were sent into space as part of the AstroCup project, to see if they could withstand the harsh conditions of space travel. ‌

The cups—bright orange and made by Lunette—were packed into a metal box aboard the Baltasar rocket, launched by the Rocket Experiment Division (RED) at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal.

See Full Page