Biology Beyond Earth

Exploring worlds beyond Earth will require terrestrial life to survive and ultimately flourish in environments fundamentally different to those in which it has evolved. The effects on life of the conditions encountered in Earth orbit, deep space and on the surface of other worlds must be studied and compared, to understand and reduce the risks to explorers, and to make full use of the broad research opportunities and scientific benefits offered by such unique environments.

Though much is already known about adaptations to the space environment, key changes in terrestrial life may only be revealed over complete life cycles and across multiple generations beyond Earth. The demands and potential risks of exploring and inhabiting other worlds necessitate a detailed understanding of these changes at all levels of biological organization, from the smallest genetic alteration to impacts on critical elements of reproduction, development and aging. By assembling this new knowledge, BioBeyond will contribute to the safety of space exploration, drive numerous social and economic benefits by extending our basic understanding of life on Earth, and address fundamental questions of life's potential beyond its planet of origin.

A Powerpoint presentation giving an overview of the BioBeyond strategy has been prepared as a companion resource to this website.

Download the presentation (5.2 MB)