Lígia Fonseca Coelho

I am a bioengineer working at the intersection of space science and sustainability. My research focuses on testing how medical devices, like menstrual cups and self-diagnosis systems, perform under the extreme conditions of spaceflight, and understanding how materials respond to radiation, microgravity, and other environmental stressors.

Over the past 11 years, I have combined lab experiments, fieldwork in extreme environments, and suborbital spaceflight tests to study the resilience of biological systems. My work includes pioneering experiments on menstrual devices in space, exploring algae and microbial systems as sustainable space food, and building the most extensive database of radiation-resistant biosignatures, from microorganisms to rocks and minerals.

As a 51 Pegasi b Fellow at Cornell, I use these insights to guide the design of space missions, support the search for life beyond Earth, and help industry and government partners understand how biological systems can survive, and even thrive, in extreme conditions. My goal is to make space exploration more sustainable, resilient, and scientifically informed.

I have co-led the first experiment to test menstrual cups under real spaceflight conditions, marking a pioneering step toward sustainable solutions for the health autonomy of astronauts. We evaluated their performance under extreme forces, rapid pressure changes, intense vibration, and parachute deployment. Post-flight analyses revealed no leaks, no structural damage, and no material degradation, providing the first evidence that reusable menstrual technologies can withstand realistic launch environments. AstroCup lays the foundation for developing safe, autonomous menstrual-care systems for long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.