


Deep Space Biology
NASA has entered a new era of human exploration into deep space, with a plan to put astronauts back on the Moon and eventually land human missions on Mars and beyond. However, the risk posed by the deep space radiation environment beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) is a critical gap in our knowledge. Beyond LEO, astronauts will face a constant low-flux rain of ionizing radiation from galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), in addition to variable and unpredictable solar particle events (SPEs). On the lunar surface, direct GCR exposure is augmented by secondary, albedo neutrons from regolith. Even though ground facilities to perform space-like radiation experiments are already available, the dynamic and unique composition of the deep space radiation environment is practically impossible to fully simulate on Earth. As we prepare to send humans on extended missions beyond LEO, it is critical to understand how persistent exposure to space radiation affects living organisms. Small satellites or CubeSats can query relevant space environments using robust biological systems supported by autonomous technologies and can thus play an instrumental role in enabling future human deep space exploration.