Opportunities in space life sciences

Abstract

There are very positive signs that in the next few decades space travel for scientific understanding, exploration, in-situ resource utlilisation, tourism, and eventual settlement (lunar and Martian habitation) will become reality. Some of the most exciting developments are being led by a resurgence in the US space budget. The recently announced United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Artemis lunar exploration program is aiming to return the first female and next male astronaut to the Moon’s south pole by 2024 and follow this with the establishment of sustainable missions by 2028 [1]. Once lunar habitation is established NASA plans to send astronauts to Mars [2]. To support these missions NASA is leading the construction of a modular Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway space station which would support human and robotic exploration of the moon’s surface and other missions. The European, Chinese and Russian space agencies have also outlined plans for lunar settlement. There is a high level of collaboration with commercial and international partners and many of these programs. The space sector continues to grow strongly—the number of international space agencies currently sits around 75, with fourteen of these having sovereign launch capabilities. Agencies from the US (NASA), Russia (Roscosmos), China (CNSA), European (ESA), Japan (JAXA), India (ISRO) have already conducted orbital missions to the Moon. New Zealand (2016) and Australia (2018) have recently created space agencies. Another recent shift in the space landscape has been the emergence of private companies with more commercially focused, cost effective and agile approaches, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic. Israel recently became the first country to send a privately funded craft (the Beresheet) into lunar orbit. Blue Origin is planning to return humans to the Moon by 2024. Over 650 people have signed up for Virgin Galactic flights [3] and Space-X has reportedly sold seats on its BFR rocket to the first private customers to travel around the moon in 2023 [4]. Robotics will play an important role in this new era in space exploration with human travel and colonization being the ultimate goal. But space is a dangerous environment for humans, particularly for long duration travel. The most serious challenge involves exposure to high levels of ionising radiation (increasing risks of cancer, cataracts, cardiac damage, etc). In addition, based on studies of astronauts living in the microgravity conditions of the ISS, the space environment can lead to many of the same health issues that occur in an exponentially ageing human, including bone loss, muscle atrophy, kidney stones, eye damage from increased intracranial pressure, altered immunology, and sleeping difficulties. Astronauts are at risk of decompression sickness and suffer from decreased motor co-ordination after long duration travel [5]. Space travel involves living in a hostile closed environment with the risk of environmental hazards and changes to the behaviour of micro-organisms. Space travellers may also be isolated and confined within a small area which increases the risk of psychosocial issues (such as depression, conflict, anxiety, fatigue and team cohesion). Growing food in a microgravity environment for nutritional requirements is also difficult and medications can become * Jason Dowling [email protected]