Christina Koch Readies for Saliva Sample Collection

art002e027807 (April 8, 2026) – NASA astronaut Christina Koch smiles at the camera as she holds a pipette and saliva booklet for the Artemis II Immune Biomarkers study. Samples will be analyzed for proteins, enzymes, and other biomarkers that monitor immunity, inflammation, nutritional status, bone health, and radiation effects, to determine how crewmembers adapted to deep spaceflight conditions. Credit: NASA