Space Life Sciences

Dear Colleagues,

In the past 60 years of space exploration, numerous studies have been carried out to understand responses of human and biological systems (animal to cells) to multiple stresses induced by space environments. Although responses to conditions in space remain still poorly understood, it has been reliably established that they are both profound and global. As we continue to venture in space for a longer period and are at the doorstep of future planetary class missions, i.e., the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies, multiple studies at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and species level are currently underway to sustain human space flight and space explorations.

Informally, space life sciences research can be divided into seven areas:

1. Biomedical and physiological studies, which address the effects of space on humans and the development of associated countermeasures.
2. Space biology studies aimed at investigating the effects of space environments, e.g., microgravity and radiation, on living systems; i.e., microbiology, system biology, integrative physiology, cell and tissue systems, invertebrates, vertebrates, and plant biology.
3. Research on biological systems that support exploration, primarily in life support and biology-based in situ resource utilization.
4. Planetary protection studies, which mainly address risks associated with forward and backward contamination.
5. Astrobiological studies on the detection, origin, and evolution of life in the universe, and the expansion of terrestrial life beyond its planet of origin.
6. Exploration technologies and instrument development to support biological studies in human and automated missions.
7. Programs and roadmaps aimed at defining strategies, goals, and priorities to maintain and sustain robust and viable exploration missions.

For this Special Issue of Life journal, we seek manuscripts based on experimental analyses, theoretical models, and policies that encompass the latest research in all fields relevant to space life sciences. In particular, we encourage submission of manuscripts with results from spaceflight experiments, e.g., Low Earth Orbit and beyond, and experiments using ground-based devices, platforms, and facilities that simulate elements of the spaceflight environment, e.g., rotating wall vessels, random positioning machine, unloading, radiation, bed rest, terrestrial station, and Antarctica. Investigations related to gravity as a continuum, i.e., micro-, partial-, and hyper-gravity, as compared to Earth are also of interest. Studies based on data from up-to-date methods used in the field or derived from omics technologies are highly welcome. Finally, in addition to standard research manuscripts, review papers, and hypothesis driven articles are also solicited for this issue.

Dr. Fathi Karouia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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