A safe-to-swallow oral care product developed by a Japanese startup and manufactured by mentally disabled people has been selected as a candidate for use by astronauts at the International Space Station.
The product chosen through an open recruitment process is a mint-flavored oral care spray made by workers employed by a nonprofit organization in Niigata Prefecture.
Whether it makes the ISS journey or not will be decided possibly in June based on a comprehensive assessment of safety and other factors. According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, if approved, it will be transported to the station around 2022.