New Delhi: Only 24 astronauts have ventured beyond the protection offered by the Van Allen Belts of the Earth, that trap energetic particles, 28 if you count the Polaris Dawn mission. Scientists do not know the impact of sustained exposure to a high-radiation environment on the human body, and any pioneers to Mars might require dialysis on return journey. To better understand the impact of long-duration deep-space crewed missions, NASA is executing a strategic plan called ‘know before we go’, to better understand how spaceflight to the Moon and Mars could affect the human body. Flying on the Artemis II mission in April 2026 are organ chips that can assess the impact on human health.
The organ chips simulate human organs on a chip as part of an experiment dubbed AVATAR (A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response). The chips will be loaded with cells collected from the Artemis II astronauts, and will fly to lunar orbit and back with the crew over a 10 day mission. The research will provide NASA with valuable insights on how to better protect its crew on future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. The experiment is a collaboration between NASA, government agencies and industry partners, and can potentially accelerate innovations in personalised healthcare on Earth as well.
How humans react to space stressors
Associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Nicky Fox says, “AVATAR is NASA’s visionary tissue chip experiment that will revolutionize the very way we will do science, medicine, and human multi-planetary exploration. Each tissue chip is a tiny sample uniquely created so that we can examine how the effects of deep space act on each human explorer before we go to ensure we pack the appropriate medical supplies tailored to each individual’s needs as we travel back to the Moon, and onward to Mars.” The devices are roughly the size of a USB drive, and helps predict how an individual could react to microgravity, radiation and pharmaceuticals, serving as ‘avatars’ for human organs.