Abstract The National Research Council (NRC) has recently recognized the International
Space Station (ISS) as uniquely suitable for furthering the study of microbial species in …

A driving force behind space exploration is the search for extraterrestrial life and/or
environmental conditions that may give rise to or support it. To prevent forward …

The ubiquitous nature of microbiology is reflected in the diversity of microbiological research
and operational efforts at NASA. For example, the impact of microorganisms on other …

One of the biggest challenges of science is the determination of whether extraterrestrial life
exists. Although potential habitable areas might be available for complex life, it is more likely …

After 30 years of being the centerpiece of NASA's human spacecraft, the Space Shuttle will
retire. This highly successful program provided many valuable lessons for the International …

Microbiological research has made important discoveries about how life responds to non-
terrestrial environments, such as those found aboard the International Space Station. As …

Human presence in space is inextricably linked with microbes. The topic of “Space
Microbiology” emerged the moment we stepped into space (Antipov et al., 1962; Hotchin et …

With the construction of the International Space Station, humans have been continuously
living and working in space for 22 years. Microbial studies in space and other extreme …

Extension of human habitation into space requires that humans carry with them many of the
microorganisms with which they coexist on Earth. The ubiquity of microorganisms in close …

One of the new challenges facing humanity is to reach increasingly further distant space
targets. It is therefore of upmost importance to understand the behavior of microorganisms …