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NASA Astronauts Blast Futuristic ‘Organ Chips’ Into Space

The chips offer a granular look at when radiation and microgravity begin to affect human health.

NASA scientists launched cell-culture “avatars” of the Artemis II crew into space to gain new insights into how space affects human health. The AVATARS, or “A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response,” are transparent chips about the size of a USB thumb drive carrying bone marrow cells donated by each crew member. The so-called “organ chips” allow scientists to simulate what happens to astronauts’ organs in deep space, providing granular information about where and when radiation and microgravity begin to affect the body. The Artemis crew’s AVATARS used bone marrow cells so researchers could focus on the astronauts’ immune responses while traveling through space. Those insights could lead to personalized treatments that would allow astronauts to embark on more complicated missions with tailored therapeutics. The goal is for scientists to one day send up avatars of astronauts selected for deep space travel and long-duration missions in advance, so crews can prepare for potential health challenges.