David Saint-Jacques gives a blood and breath sample for a Canadian study aboard the International Space Station in December 2018. (Credit: NASA)

Have you ever wondered what happens if astronauts get sick or hurt? There aren’t any doctors or hospitals in space. There aren’t any medical clinics or drugstores.

That’s a problem. Astronauts spend a lot of time in space. We need tools to keep them healthy. But how can we bring healthcare to space?

Scientists are working on it. And Canada is taking the lead.

Too far, too long, too late

Astronauts face unique dangers in space. Radiation exposure. Living in microgravity and closed environments for weeks at a time.