Generations will use flight research hardware that is already on the shelf or under development to the greatest extent possible to speed implementation of research and reduce costs.
Generations will leverage the biotechnology assets available today. Some of these technologies are ready for immediate application. Others will have to be modified for use in the space environment.
Generations will also support new technology developments that leverage multibillion dollar national investments in biotechnology by adapting them to meet the unusual demands of space flight research.
Generations will employ the latest bioinformatics and computational resources to manage the huge data sets produced from these molecular biology studies and enable data mining, a strategy that continues to deliver new insights long after the initial flight research is completed.
AstroBionics is a NASA-wide umbrella program for creation, identification, and development of far-reaching technologies to support biological space exploration in the 21st century. AstroBionics manages the Fundamental Space Biology (FSB) Technology Program. Within the technology element of FSB, Technology Areas, profiled on the AstroBionics Web site, are the R&D focal points that will lead to technologies that support Generations research.