Biomedical Engineering in Space

Session Title for Website and App: BMES ad astra: Why and how biomedical engineering research is performed in space

Special Session Program

Description: Humanity is expanding into space at unprecedented rates, with the commercial space sector projected to reach $2 trillion in the next decade. Biomedical engineering (BME), biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, and biomanufacturing will form major sectors of this emerging market. Historically restricted to the International Space Station (ISS), BME research can now be performed on CubeSats, free-flyers, specialized spacecraft, and upcoming commercial space stations. Space-based BME research benefits not only astronauts—who experience poorly understood space-induced pathologies—but also human health on Earth. As humans prepare for longer duration missions in space (i.e., extended space station habitation, Mars transit missions) and lengthening lifespans on Earth, new BME innovations are needed to improve human health across domains.

Space uniquely alters human biology across molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and whole-body scales over time. Key health risks, including microgravity-induced bone and muscle loss, immunosuppression, radiation exposure, and fluid shifts, are fundamentally rooted in engineering principles. BME is essential to mitigating these challenges, while also advancing Earth-based healthcare for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other diseases. Additionally, space provides an unparalleled environment for biomedical modeling (e.g., enhanced 3D tissue growth) and therapeutic development (e.g., superior drug crystallization), offering benefits impossible to achieve on Earth.

This panel will feature experts conducting in-space BME research, sharing insights on translating Earth-based work to space and shaping the future of space as the “final frontier” of BME research. Panelists will discuss academic, industry, and government collaborations that enable space-based research and provide guidance for researchers entering the field. BMES is the ideal venue for this discussion, uniting engineers, biologists, and clinicians at the forefront of BME innovation. The panel format will foster dynamic engagement, allowing attendees to ask questions and explore future opportunities. This session is exceptionally timely and will inspire new research and collaborations for in-space BME