G-Lab

The Space Studies Institute is looking to tackle some of the major questions that must be answered before humans can really settle space. One of those is the effect low gravity and microgravity has on human biology, and on biology in general. SSI plans to address that area through a project called G-Lab.

We know extended periods in microgravity harms human biology in a variety of ways, but we don't know, for example, how much gravity is necessary for the human body to function property. Is full Earth gravity required, or would something less do? How much gravity is necessary for human fetuses to develop properly? For children to grow normally? What about the effect gravity has on other animals we might like to bring with us? G-Lab would be a free-flying platform associated with ISS that would investigate such issues.

The details of G-Lab remain to be worked out, but as SSI argues, until we have good answers to those questions, we can't move ahead with the settling of space.