Exploring a New Model for Future Space Missions
What happens when students and researchers on opposite sides of the world work together to operate a simulated lunar habitat?
In a recent multinational mission simulation, teams in China and Australia collaborated remotely to test the operation of the UMIC (Underwater Modular Interplanetary Community) Lunar Farm. The project explored how future lunar and Martian settlements might be managed through a combination of life support systems, robotics, and remote mission control.
The experiment formed part of the Space Mission Commons initiative, an effort to investigate how small, distributed research facilities can contribute to a global network of space mission simulations and educational opportunities.​

A Lunar Habitat in the Heart of a City
Most lunar and planetary analogue stations are located in remote deserts, volcanic regions, or polar environments. While these locations provide realistic terrain, they are often expensive to operate and difficult to access.The UMIC Underwater Lunar Farm takes a different approach.
Located within an urban environment in China, the facility is designed to support remote access and operation while simulating key aspects of a future extraterrestrial habitat. At its core is an intelligent biosphere system intended to explore how self-sustaining communities might function beyond Earth.
The project focuses on three primary research areas:

• Collaboration between life support systems and remote mission teams
• Distributed mission command and control
• Community-scale operational models for future space habitats

Inside the UMIC Lunar Farm
The facility is surrounded by approximately 800 litres of water and incorporates several interconnected systems designed to simulate aspects of a lunar settlement.
These include:

• A plant cultivation chamber designed to emulate a controlled life support environment
• A robotic patrol corridor
• Human living and working spaces

Together, these components support research into autonomous biosphere operations, robotic control strategies, and human factors in environments where communication delays and remote supervision play important roles.
Unlike traditional analogue habitats, UMIC's urban location allows researchers and students to participate remotely, creating opportunities for international collaboration without requiring travel to isolated locations.​

Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, demanding diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that are not only accurate but also personalised. As healthcare shifts toward precision medicine, aptamer-based technologies are emerging as powerful tools with the potential to revolutionise how cardiac diseases are detected, monitored, and treated.

​Aptamers, short single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules, are engineered to bind specific targets such as proteins, cells, or biomarkers with high affinity and selectivity. Often described as synthetic alternatives to antibodies, aptamers offer several advantages, including low immunogenicity, high stability, cost-effective synthesis, and ease of chemical modification. These features make them particularly suitable for integration into next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic platforms.

In the context of cardiac diseases, early detection is critical. Conditions such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and atherosclerosis rely on timely identification of biomarkers like troponins, C-reactive protein (CRP), and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Aptamer-based biosensors enable highly sensitive and rapid detection of these biomarkers, even at very low concentrations, offering the potential for earlier diagnosis compared with some conventional approaches. When integrated with portable platforms such as paper-based assays or smartphone-assisted devices, these systems can deliver point-of-care diagnostics, reducing the need for centralised laboratory infrastructure. These innovations maybe particularly valuable in remote or resource-constrained environments, including spaceflight medicine, where rapid point-of-care cardiovascular monitoring is essential.

​Beyond diagnostics, aptamers are also gaining attention in targeted therapy. Their ability to specifically bind disease-related molecules allows them to act as drug delivery agents or therapeutic inhibitors. Although not a cardiovascular therapy, Pegaptanib, an RNA-based aptamer approved by the FDA in 2004, demonstrates the therapeutic viability of aptamer technologies and supports exploration of similar cardiovascular applications. For example, aptamers may be designed to block clot formation pathways or target inflammatory mediators involved in cardiovascular disease progression.

On the coast of the Philippines, a small but unusual project is asking a bold question: could the ocean help humanity prepare for life beyond Earth?
Known as the Star Sea Alliance (SSA), the initiative describes its journey as From Sea to Space, combining marine restoration, underwater training, habitat experiments and community education. What began with artificial reef construction has grown into a broader vision: using underwater environments to explore how people might one day live and work in extreme conditions beyond Earth. 

Building from the Seabed Up
​The project’s early work focused on artificial reefs and marine habitat support along the Zamboanguita coast. Artificial reefs can help create shelter for marine life, support coral growth and strengthen damaged ecosystems.For SSA, those reef structures also became something more. Working underwater demands careful planning, teamwork, equipment management and adaptation to a hostile environment, many of the same pressures faced in space operations.
SSA refers to this evolving concept as Space Reef: marine ecological engineering that supports life in the sea today while helping inspire modular habitats for tomorrow. 

Why Train Underwater?
Space agencies have long used water for astronaut training because it can simulate aspects of weightlessness and restricted movement. SSA builds on that idea with diver-based missions, underwater construction exercises and habitat experiments.
The group’s training model, described as an Underwater Space Graded Training System, uses diving tasks to simulate teamwork, movement, repair work and maintenance in extreme environments.
In these conditions, every tool matters, communication becomes more important, and even simple tasks require patience and precision. It is not space, but it can be a valuable classroom for some of space’s challenges. 

From Imagination to Reality
​Staying in space for a few days, weeks, or even long-term missions has now become a reality. What once began as a single step on the Moon has evolved into the possibility of residing there for six months or longer, an evident transition from imagination to execution. This progression raises an important question: is it always possible to imagine something and successfully execute it in a way that results in learning and tangible benefits? 

Exploration Beyond Space​
Space missions are often portrayed as the pinnacle of human exploration. However, does that imply that science was not flourishing before the concept of space exploration emerged? In fact, it was. Philosophers and astronomers were already shaping human understanding by observing the cosmos, while early scientists designed compasses and navigation tools to determine direction and expand exploration on Earth. 
Restricting the concept of exploration solely to space missions confines imagination to a single direction. Exploration within the human body, the depths of the oceans, the skies, or the Earth itself is equally valid and profoundly impactful.

Adapting Humans to an Alien Environment
To counter these effects, innovative solutions are being developed, including precision medicine, advanced life-support systems, and ergonomically designed spacesuits. If challenges exist, humans find solutions, even long before the modern era of artificial intelligence. Imagine the prospect of walking freely in space without protective equipment or technological support? It is indeed a daunting idea. Imagination moves swiftly, whereas execution demands a well-planned strategy and substantial investment; it cannot be random.​

Evelyne Wang:
In December 2025, I participated in UMIC’s first indoor underwater “Lunar Farm” remotely operated vehicle (ROV) mission.
In early February 2026, under the guidance of Antonio P. Yocol, Head of the Offshore Resources Management Department of Zamboanguita City, Philippines, and UMIC Commander Chris Yuan, I completed a six-day scuba diving training programme followed by a two-day artificial reef restoration and coral planting project in the Philippine Sea.
The mission focused on restoring coral communities damaged by typhoons while contributing to the rebuilding of the seabed ecosystem.
Yet this project was designed to explore something more than ecological restoration alone.
Unlike conventional artificial reef deployments, this mission also functioned as a simulated lunar habitat construction exercise.

Structure and Construction:
The artificial reef consisted of eighteen 4-metre concrete pillars, each weighing approximately 850 kilograms. These pillars were lowered from the ship by crane.
On the seabed, divers operated without heavy machinery. Movement and positioning depended entirely on buoyancy bags, counterweights, and carefully coordinated underwater teamwork.
Precision and control became far more important than brute force.

​When we think of human spaceflight, it’s easy to focus on rockets, spacecraft and mission timelines. Less visible, but just as critical, is the quiet disruption of the body’s natural rhythms. On board the International Space Station, astronauts witness multiple sunrises and sunsets every day, challenging circadian systems that have evolved under a single 24-hour light–dark cycle. Sleep, hormonal regulation, cognition and overall wellbeing all depend on rhythm. The below article written by Dr Maria Helena Itaqui Lopes, originally published in the journal Zero Hora and website GZH, explores rhythm from a clinical and musical perspective, and reminds us that the language of the body matters deeply, whether on Earth or in orbit.

​One day, while studying the biography of Herbert von Karajan, the legendary conductor regarded as one of the greatest in the history of conducting and often referred to as the “conductor of conductors”, I was struck by his reflections on rhythm. He stated that “if no one teaches students the basic disciplines of rhythm, things become impossible”. Although this statement, coming from a musician, may at first seem to relate exclusively to music, in reality rhythm goes far beyond this. It encompasses a sense of balance in physical movement, mental processes, learning, self-care, daily activities and vital energy.

​Our bodies function rhythmically. We need only recall cardiac rhythm, breathing, sleep, digestive function and circadian rhythms, among many others. Of the biological rhythms that regulate bodily function, the circadian rhythm stands out as a central example, as it organises hormonal release in a time-dependent manner. The secretion of cortisol, melatonin, growth hormone and insulin follows patterns that influence metabolism, immune response, cognitive performance and tissue repair. In preventive medicine, recognising these rhythms allows functional variations to be interpreted, the timing of assessments to be guided, and interventions to be individualised.

​Still within the scope of preventive medicine, the starting point for a health review is not defined by age-related calendars nor by the presence of symptoms, but rather by the early recognition of functional changes, taking family history and genetics into account. Beginning an assessment at this stage means respecting an individual’s biological timing, interpreting subtle functional signals and anticipating risks before disease becomes established. In this way, the clinical review becomes a strategy of continuous, personalised care, aimed at preserving autonomy and health over time.

​These notions of the body’s own language interact with our daily activities. Returning to music, we know that a large proportion of Baroque works were written at a tempo of 75 to 80 beats per minute, measured by a metronome (a device used by musicians to regulate tempo by setting beats per minute), which corresponds closely to the average resting heart rate considered normal. It could be said that this synergy is pleasing to most people.

​A medical consultation also has its own rhythm, which is sometimes forgotten or even never learned. A consultation has a beginning, a development, a moment of climax and a conclusion. Expressing empathy either too early or at an inappropriate moment disrupts this balance, and the doctor–patient relationship becomes misaligned. Entering the correct frequency to properly understand a patient is a skill that requires a basic sense of rhythm. An andante tempo (a musical term referring to tempos between 72 and 84 beats per minute) closely resembles our heart rate and therefore feels comfortable to us. In other words, at the start of a consultation or during a visit to a patient in a hospital bed, the encounter should follow a rhythm that conveys safety and support from the doctor. This is a skill that should be better recognised and valued by professionals. From the patient’s perspective, the choice of when to undertake a clinical review should be carefully considered and planned for the new year that is beginning.

​Another, rather striking, story related to rhythm concerns three conductors who died while conducting the third act of Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde. The pauses in this passage are intermittent and irregular, creating tension that can affect both mind and body. Karajan, aware of this and seeking to protect himself, would dissipate this intense tension by using breathing movements to distance himself from the musical strain.
In life, as in music, it is essential to find the right rhythm for each challenge, especially when it comes to caring for one’s own health.

InnovaSpace Team comment: Last week, we shared a post about the many ways people can contribute to space exploration—without ever wearing a spacesuit. This week, we’re delighted to feature a reflection from our friend and colleague Lukasz Wilczynski, founder of the European Space Foundation and creator of the European Rover Challenge.
Łukasz recently spent a week at the University of Oxford, participating in a high-level programme of The Karman Project and Oxford Space Initiative with future leaders of the global space community. His words below speak for themselves—rich in insight, humour, and a deep belief in space as a tool for positive change.

FINAL THOUGHTS
At InnovaSpace, we echo Łukasz’s sentiment: space is not a remote, elite pursuit - it’s woven into the fabric of our daily lives and our global future. It shapes how we live, how we connect, and how we look at the future.
Whether you're an engineer, artist, teacher, policymaker, or simply have a curious mind—there’s a role for you in space.
Want to get involved? Start by visiting events like the European Rover Challenge or following space organisations online.
Join in the conversation because space needs all of us!

When most people think about the type of person who will work in space, the image that springs to mind is that of an astronaut in a bulky white suit floating around outside the International Space Station! That is certainly a part of the story, however the exploration of space needs a lot more than just rocket pilots. In fact, some of the astronauts who will launch this week (July 31st 2025* - Crew-11) come from surprising backgrounds. One of them, Zena Cardman, didn’t start out flying planes or building rockets — she studied microbes in mud and explored caves and Antarctic ice looking for life in extreme environments.
Another of the astronauts, Kimiya Yui from Japan, started out in the Japanese Air Force and later trained with engineers and scientists before becoming an astronaut. Theirs and other stories like them prove that you don’t have to be a math genius or science whiz to have a future in space!
*note: launch delayed to 1st August 2025 due to weather constraints

Space Needs Everyone - Below are just a few of the surprising roles that play a huge part in exploring the cosmos:

• Writers & Communicators – NASA hires science storytellers to explain missions to the world.
• Lawyers - Space law is real! We need legal minds to navigate treaties, satellite rights, and even the ethics of space mining.
• Doctors & Biologists – Astronauts need medical support, and we need people studying how the human body changes in space, such as our very own aerospace medicine specialist Prof Thais Russomano.
• Plumbers - Plumbing is critical—someone has to make sure the water systems (and toilets!) work on the ISS and future Moon bases.
• Artists & Designers – Someone has to design mission patches, build virtual training tools, and even help plan future habitats.
• Gamers & Coders – In fact, video game skills translate well to robot control and navigation.

Whether you're into fashion, food, fitness, or filmmaking... there is room within space exploration for all of these talents and more.

India is a land of unity in diversity. Its rural and tribal corners, though brimming with curiosity and raw talent, often remain unsensitized by the conversations that shape our future, especially when it comes to space science and environmental awareness. On 14th November 2024, at Varanasi (an Indian city popular as a pilgrimage site), a quiet revolution began. LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation®, in collaboration with the Pratham Education Foundation, penned down a new chapter in the Indian space ecosystem. It was marked by a shared vision of "bringing science and space to the mainstream discussion". But this wasn't a lofty corporate pitch, but an interactive DIY science workshop on weather and climate change. This was made possible through LIFE-To & Beyond Foundation® (i.e., through our Outreach Sarabhai initiative, named after the Father of the Indian Space Program, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai [Figure 1]), when we decided to go further, deeper, and wider right into the heart of rural and tribal India. But such a dream needed legs, wheels, and fuel (both literal and metaphorical). That’s where Pratham Education Foundation entered as a key collaborator. Pratham helped bring together its grassroots strength to the table: identifying school children from rural and tribal areas, arranging transportation, and managing the logistics of setting up workshops in their Creativity club centers across India.

Thus, from the ghats of Varanasi to the sub-urbans of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; from the arid desert regions in Dausa, Rajasthan to the naxalite-maoist affected, densely forested areas in Konta and Sukma in Chhattisgarh to the gateway to north-east India, i.e., Cooch-Behar, in West Bengal, India, it was a journey across the lengths and breadths of north, west, and eastern parts of India (Figure 2)

The theme for these workshops was Weather and Climate Change and was carried out under the name “Build your Weather Station”. Why? Because these children are not just future citizens, they're current stakeholders of a planet undergoing rapid change, mainly due to anti-environmental human activities. And what better way to learn than by engaging? Kids were introduced to DIY weather stations, built their thermometers, rain gauge, and anemometer, along with engaging demonstrations of magic in a glass of water explaining the concept of atmospheric pressure, cloud in a jar and bottle, a tornado in a bottle, and paper-origami rocket, and a climate satellite model making. All built from everyday materials to understand concepts of temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, rainfall, wind, and climate monitoring through. From crafting anemometers out of paper cups to decoding how clouds are born, the sessions turned into hands-on labs of discovery. The idea was simple: make science feel like play and not an academic work.

​Meet MRD-001: The Mars Recon Dog
As part of the StarG2025 platform, the MRD-001 tracked Mars Scout Dog was deployed for its first dual-test mission — one in an urban indoor setting, and another in the field among alpine meadows and virgin forests.