Space travel-associated motion sickness and its treatment

On Earth, motion sickness is often just a nuisance that can spoil a car ride, fishing trip, or visit to an amusement park. In space, however, motion sickness can be hazardous. Vomiting due to motion sickness while in a space suit could lead to aspiration, poor visibility and damage to space suit systems. The effects motion sickness has on alertness and mental performance are undesirable when critical operations are underway. Although motion sickness has been an issue for space travellers since the beginning of human space exploration, the range of medications and routes of administration have not changed appreciably since the early days of spaceflight, which spans more than 40 years. This review presents the main therapeutics available for space-induced motion sickness, the routes of administration available, and the challenges for administering them in space while minimizing major side effects.