Opportunities in space life sciences

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.