Expired drugs pose risk to astronauts

When it comes to crewed missions to Mars, there is no shortage of hazards, from space radiation to a hostile environment. Now researchers have found another: many medicines astronauts may take are likely to expire before they return to Earth.

- Nicola Davis

A host of medications used in space have a shelf life of three years or less - a problem given Nasa expects a Mars mission to take roughly 36 months.

Dr Dan Buckland, the senior study author from Duke University School of Medicine, said expired medication was usually less effective, although by how much is unpredictable.

"The risk is that an illness later in a Mars mission would end up with a greater severity than had it occurred earlier in the mission before the medication has expired," he said.

89 Medications would expire by 36 months, according to minimum shelf life