Abstract EANA2025-178

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Human and Robotic Exploration (HRE) Directorate, through its Exploration Science programme, plays a central role in advancing the agency’s long-term vision, Explore2040. This strategy promotes a sustainable and internationally collaborative approach to human and robotic exploration, focusing on three key destinations: low-Earth orbit (LEO), the Moon, and Mars. Within this framework, biological and life sciences research are foundational, both for enabling future human missions and for leveraging the unique conditions of space to conduct transformative scientific investigations.

ESA’s Exploration Science programme is structured around two complementary pillars: exploration-focused science, which addresses the needs of ESA in order to meet its exploration objectives, and exploration-enabled science, which leverages the capabilities of the existing ESA platforms to conduct excellent science. Biology serves as a critical bridge between these pillars, supporting astronaut health and performance while also enabling fundamental discoveries in life sciences.

ESA’s biology research spans a wide range of topics, including astrobiology, microbiology, cell biology, and plant biology. These areas are essential for understanding life’s resilience and adaptability in space, as well as for developing bioregenerative life support systems. In addition, emerging fields such as 3D bioprinting, tissue chips, and synthetic biology are gaining prominence. These innovative technologies offer new capabilities for studying cell-based complex biological systems, developing countermeasures, and enhancing medical autonomy during long-duration missions.

The space environment and its analogues offer unparalleled opportunities to explore fundamental astrobiological questions. By studying the resilience and adaptability of life in extreme conditions ESA supports investigations into the limits of life and the potential for its existence beyond Earth. Experiments on the survivability of microorganisms, the stability of biomolecules, and the simulation of extraterrestrial environments contribute to our understanding of habitability on other planetary bodies. These insights are essential for informing planetary protection strategies, guiding the search for biosignatures, and shaping future missions aimed at detecting life beyond Earth.

ESA has a long-standing and influential role in astrobiology. A major milestone was the development of the EXPOSE facility on the ISS, which enabled long-duration exposure experiments on microorganisms and organic compounds in space. These studies have provided critical data on the survivability of life in space and the plausibility of panspermia. ESA continues to support the scientific community through the ESA HRE Exploration Science programme, funding astrobiology and exobiology research, supporting analog campaigns, and fostering international collaboration to advance the field.

This presentation outlines ESA’s current and future priorities in biology and life sciences research across its exploration platforms. It highlights recent scientific achievements, identifies strategic research directions, and emphasizes opportunities for collaboration with the international scientific community. By fostering interdisciplinary partnerships and supporting innovative research, ESA aims to advance our understanding of life in extreme environments and to ensure the success of future human exploration missions.