New Challenge for Mars Travel: Expiration Dates of Medications

The journey of astronauts to Mars poses numerous risks and obstacles, from the planet's inhospitable nature to space radiation. Now, researchers have added another difficulty to this list: the expiration dates of most medications that astronauts may take with them will expire before the end of the round trip to Mars. The expiration date of most current medications is about three years or less, and it is estimated that a round trip to Mars will take about 36 months. Dr. Dan Buckland, a professor at Duke University School of Medicine and the lead of this new research, states that on Earth, the efficacy of medications decreases after their expiration date, but the extent of this decrease is unpredictable. He added, "The danger we face is that the severity of illness in the later stages of the journey to Mars may be greater after the expiration of medications, and consequently, their effectiveness may not be optimal." Dr. Buckland and his colleagues have obtained a list of medications available at the International Space Station, citing the Freedom of Information Act. Although the list of medications that astronauts may take on the Mars mission is not yet clear, Dr. Buckland suggests that the medical cargo for that mission will likely resemble that of the International Space Station. The results of this research have been published in the scientific journal 'NPJ Microgravity,' which focuses on space travel and is published under the Nature journal. In this study, information regarding 91 out of 106 medications available at the International Space Station was examined, and researchers concluded that the expiration date of at least 54 of these medications, including pain relievers, is 36 months. The expiration date of 14 other medications, including one related to the treatment of anaphylaxis, one advanced life-support drug, two types of antibiotics, and one antipsychotic drug, is 24 months. Researchers note that if the minimum expiration date of medications is considered, 89 out of 106 medications available at the International Space Station have an expiration date of 36 months. They reminded that the basis of this research was the expiration dates recorded on the original packaging, and if the repackaging of medications, which is usually done when sending cargo to the International Space Station, is taken into account, their expiration dates will likely be shorter in practice. Previous studies have shown that astronauts stationed at this station consume medications daily, indicating that calculating the expiration dates of medications is a very important issue. It should be noted that transferring cargo, including medications, to the International Space Station is permanent and relatively simple, but such an option does not exist for the nearly three-year journey to Mars. Dr. Dan Buckland, the lead of this research, said, "We hope that our research will help in better selecting appropriate medications for a long mission and at the same time remind astronauts and Mars mission officials that they will inevitably have to accept the risk of medications whose effectiveness has decreased due to expiration."