NASA

Julie Robinson, chief scientist at NASA's ISS division, talks about using health research on the International Space Station to prepare for a long-term mission to Mars.

There are challenges centered around human physiology and human factors in space and other extended environments, says Dr. Annette Sobel, professor at Texas Tech University and board member at the Translational Research Institute for Space Health.

Dr. Jonathan B. Clark, associate professor of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, says the future can learn from past failures, successes in space medicine.

Space health research can teach us a lot about aging, including in such areas as osteoporosis and neurovestibular system issues, says Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor at UC Davis and former NASA astronaut Stephen K. Robinson.