For centuries, understanding menstrual cycles has been linked to the moon—our cycles mapped to its phases, our language shaped by its pull. But while the symbolism endured, the science lagged behind. Now, as missions like Artemis II prepare to return humans to the moon, including the first woman to join a lunar mission, we’re finally closing that gap. Through initiatives like Space MENs and joni’s zero-gravity tampon testing, menstruation is moving from myth to measurable, from metaphor to microgravity. This Earth Month, it’s a reminder that understanding menstrual cycles starts with designing better for bodies here on Earth might just be what carries us further in space.
That’s what this story is about: how ancient connections between menstrual cycles and moon cycles are being transformed by real-world innovation, research, and inclusion, bringing us full circle from myth to modern science.
The Story We’ve Always Told
Since the beginning of human history, the moon has been more than light in the night sky; it’s been a guide, a mirror, a metaphor. Its rhythms shape oceans, plants, calendars, and—often poetically—our own cycles.
The menstrual cycle averages 28 days; the moon’s is 29.5. Across cultures, this alignment became a symbol of femininity, renewal, and nature’s quiet persistence.
We’ve long felt the connection. But until recently, we hadn’t measured it. While symbolism celebrated the moon’s pull, science hadn’t followed through. The moon became mapped and defined with its surface charted down to the centimeter, yet the menstrual cycle in space remained unmapped territory.
Where Symbolism Fell Short
For centuries, research into understanding menstrual cycles has been limited and often framed through discomfort, taboo or exclusion. When humans went to space in the 20th century, those missions were built around male biology. Engineers planned for propulsion, gravity and cosmic radiation but not for menstrual management or hormone fluctuations in zero gravity.
The result was a glaring data gap: we explored the cosmos before fully understanding how basic human needs, like menstrual care, would function in space. How does menstrual fluid behave when there’s no gravity to guide it? Can tampons or pads absorb the same way? Would cycles shift, shorten or lengthen in orbit?
We mapped the moon before we mapped menstruation beyond Earth.
Enter Artemis: A New Era of Exploration
That history is changing fast. NASA’s Artemis II mission, scheduled to return humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, marks a major step forward not only for exploration but for representation. This crew includes the first woman as well as the first person of colour to travel toward the lunar surface.
It’s a milestone that redefines what progress looks like. By expanding who gets to go, we also expand what questions are asked—and whose experiences shape the next frontier. The mission is a turning point where science and equity intersect. It acknowledges that space is not a neutral domain; it’s a human one, filled with bodies that deserve to be understood and supported fully.
We’re not just returning to the moon. We’re redesigning space itself to include every body that belongs there.
From Myth to Microgravity
That’s the vision behind Space MENs, short for Menstrual Exploration Network—a research initiative dedicated to studying how periods function in zero gravity and understanding menstrual cycles. During a recent parabolic flight, the same type used to train astronauts, the Space MENs team tested joni’s organic cotton tampons to observe how they perform in microgravity.
The experiment measured absorption levels, fluid dynamics, and reliability without the pull of gravity. These findings help scientists understand how to safely and comfortably manage menstruation on future missions to the moon and beyond!
It’s groundbreaking research with simple but powerful implications: menstrual care is an essential part of human care. It belongs in aerospace engineering, biomedical design and every corner of innovation that explores what’s possible for the human body.
The moon connection isn’t just poetic anymore. It’s scientific.
Full Circle
This is the new era of space exploration. Artemis II's crew includes the first woman to travel toward the lunar surface. Understanding menstrual cycles is essential and studying how best to support women in space continuously for multiple menstrual cycles in complex microgravity environments, where the moon’s gravity (for example) is only 1/6 of Earth’s gravity. That means human blood only weights 1/6 of its Earth weight. How might this impact menstrual care?
Closing our knowledge gap of menstruation in space is critical to sustain life in deep space.
Why Earth Month Belongs in This Conversation
At first glance, space might seem far removed from Earth Month, but the connection runs deep.
Earth Month reminds us that every innovation should serve both people and the planet. When research pushes boundaries in extreme environments, it often sparks smarter, more sustainable design back home.
joni’s commitment to sustainability mirrors that mission: organic, biodegradable materials, inclusive design, and ethical production. Our partnership with Space MENs proves that even the smallest innovations—like a tampon—can carry enormous potential. When tested in zero gravity, they represent something bigger than product performance: they reflect how thoughtful design can thrive anywhere, from Earth’s surface to lunar orbit.
Designing for space teaches us how to design better for Earth. It’s all connected.
The Future Is Designed Differently
If this article had an avatar, it would be a woman astronaut holding a tampon aloft with the caption, “to infinity and beyond!”
Thanks to programs like Space MENs, periods are no longer an afterthought; they’re an innovation into understanding menstrual cycles. Or rather, a frontier finally being explored, with joni’s zero-gravity tampon testing proving just how far thoughtful design can go.
As Artemis II carries humans back to the moon, it’s also carrying the full human experience: every cycle, every body, every story that was once left off the map. What began as ancient symbolism—a connection between lunar phases and menstrual cycles—has evolved into measurable science that’s shaping inclusive design right here on Earth.
As Earth Month reminds us, everything we create on this planet reverberates outward. From menstrual care to space travel, design that honours every body is design that endures.
From myth to microgravity, this new chapter of menstrual history reminds us that designing better for bodies on this planet might be what propels us further into space. Because when we design for every body, we all move forward—together.