18th IAA Humans in Space Symposium (2011)
Matching Space Life Science Priorities and Earth Objectives
P. C. Johnson-Green. Life Sciences, Canadian Space Agency
Space Agencies, faced with limited funds and resources for space life sciences experimentation, must prioritize activities. Such prioritization typically includes objectives that are scientific (i.e. advancing knowledge), programmatic (e.g. reducing the risks of human space flight), and pragmatic -in this context, an example of a pragmatic objective is one that fits both space and Earth practical objectives.
Commonly, such pragmatic objectives are used as a justification for space life science research in general, and for specific partnerships between space agencies and research funding agencies. The
Canadian Space Agency has formed collaborations within the Canadian federal government using this rationale. For future collaborations, it is important to specifically identify the areas of common priority between space and Earth life sciences. The initiative described here aims for identification of specific matches (and lack of matches) within all major domains of space life science research, with initial priority given to bone research and radiation biology research.
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