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Completed TRL 5 (started at 3, targeting 6)
Exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit will experience significant challenges in crew medical care. Among these challenges are the exposure of provided medications to vacuum conditions. The impacts of environmental exposures of vacuum on medications and packaging are not fully characterized. Vehicles supporting the Artemis missions will have dedicated, vehicle-specific medical kits as well as crew medical accessory kits. Although most of the kits will be stored in a pressurized, climate-controlled volume, there are scenarios in which they may become exposed to vacuum. In addition, Mars missions will have limited re-supply missions which will result in extended storage of available medications. In most cases the shelf lives of the supplied medications are less than the duration of an expected Mars mission.
The Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team (XMIPT) in collaboration with the Department of Defense is conducting a study to assess the effects of vacuum on solid and liquid medications and their packaging to be used in exploration missions. The medications for this study were identified based on those currently being considered for future Artemis missions and represent the types of pharmaceuticals and formulations that are likely to comprise an exploration formulary. The study was conducted in two phases, with Phase A evaluating exposure in the manufacturer’s packaging. In Phase B the solid medications were exposed to vacuum without packaging, and the fluids in their manufacturer’s packaging. Phase B medications were analyzed for their Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) at timepoints 0, 3, 6 and 9 months. The study manuscript is draft.
The results from the pharmacy vacuum study will likewise aid in decision making related to the development of medical kits, medication selection and packaging and stowage for long duration Lunar and Mars missions and inform the direction of future medication in vacuum studies.
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