Platforms for Stress and Immune Research in Preparation for Long-Duration Space Exploration Missions

Abstract

The challenging characteristics of future exploration missions will likely affect immune system functions to the same or an even more pronounced degree, as learned from the MIR station and currently seen on the ISS. When investigating these effects, many terrestrial analogs for spaceflight can be employed. These allow for the reproduction of one or more of the challenges faced, thus enabling a differentiation of the environmental stress factors. Ultimately, experimentation on the International Space Station (ISS) or the Chinese Space Station (CSS) is and will remain crucial. Here, the unique combination of the many stressors in actual spaceflight is the ultimate test and validation step for this research. This chapter provides a brief overview of the different human research platforms in space and on Earth that play a role in the preparation of long-duration space exploration missions.