[Space biology in the 3d decade]

Area of Science:

• Space biology
• Evolutionary biology
• Gravitational biology

Background:

• Decades of research have investigated the effects of spaceflight on various life forms.
• Understanding biological responses to microgravity is crucial for space exploration and astrobiology.
• Previous studies have yielded diverse and sometimes contradictory results regarding spaceflight's impact on organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize major experimental findings on microorganisms, plants, and animals exposed to spaceflight.
• To propose a unifying hypothesis explaining the observed biological responses to space environments.
• To elucidate the role of gravity in biological adaptation and evolution.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of spaceflight experiments over the past two decades.
• Analysis of experimental data from studies involving microorganisms, plants, and animals.
• Development of a theoretical framework to interpret biological adaptation to altered gravity.

Main Results:

• Compilation of significant experimental outcomes from space missions.
• Identification of common patterns and variations in biological responses across different taxa.
• Observation that direct adaptation to gravity effects is not evident in short-term experiments.

Conclusions:

• A hypothesis is proposed suggesting indirect adaptation to gravity effects in living beings.
• This indirect adaptation is suggested to be primarily relevant to the phylogenetic process (evolutionary history).
• The findings imply that evolutionary mechanisms, rather than direct physiological adjustments, are key to long-term survival and adaptation in space.