Women in space: A review of known physiological adaptations and health perspectives

Abstract

Exposure to the spaceflight environment causes adaptations in most human physiological systems, many of which are thought to affect women differently from men. Since only 11.5% of astronauts worldwide have been female, these issues are largely understudied. The physiological nuances affecting the female body in the spaceflight environment remain inadequately defined since the last thorough published review on the subject. A PubMed literature search yielded over 2200 publications. Using NASA's 2014 review series ‘The effects of sex and gender on adaptation to space’ as a benchmark, we identified substantive advancements and persistent knowledge gaps in need of further study from the nearly 600 related articles that have been published since the initial review. This review highlights the most critical issues to mitigate medical risk and promote the success of missions to the Moon and Mars. Salient sex‐linked differences observed terrestrially should be studied during upcoming missions, including increased levels of inflammatory markers, coagulation factors and leptin levels following sleep deprivation; correlation between body mass and the severity of spaceflight‐associated neuro‐ocular syndrome; increased incidence of orthostatic intolerance; increased severity of muscle atrophy and bone loss; differences in the incidence of urinary tract infections; and susceptibility to specific cancers after exposure to ionizing radiation. To optimize health and well‐being among all astronauts, it is imperative to prioritize research that considers the physiological nuances of the female body. A more robust understanding of female physiology in the spaceflight environment will support crew readiness for Artemis missions and beyond.